🌿 In Loving Memory of Lorna Yvonne (Tennant) Mullings

January 26, 1935 – September 18, 2025

Lorna Mullings, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, nurse, and community pillar, passed away peacefully in her Oak Lawn IL home on September 18, 2025, at the age of 90. Her life was a testament to quiet strength, unwavering generosity, and purposeful service.

Born in Clonmel, St. Mary, Jamaica, Lorna was the third child of Harold and Edna Tennant. Lorna received her early education in Jamaica before joining the historic Windrush Generation. At just 17, she left home to train as a nurse at a hospital in London, answering the call to help fill Britain’s post-war healthcare shortage. Her dedication to healing spanned continents and decades.

Lorna spent several years living in England and working as a nurse. In 1959, she welcomed her first child, Susan. In the early 1960s, she returned to Jamaica, where she met Magnus Mullings. They married on March 25, 1964, in St. Mary parish. While living in Jamaica, they had two children together, Sonja and Franz.

In 1968, the Mullings family immigrated to the United States, settling in Chicago. Lorna was recruited to work at Cook County Hospital, continuing her vocation with grace and excellence. Magnus and Lorna welcomed daughter, Sydne, soon after. Lorna later worked at the Board of Health and St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, retiring in 1997 after a distinguished career.

Retirement did not slow Lorna down. She remained deeply active in the Jamaican community, serving for over 20 years in the Jamaican Association of Healthcare Professionals (JAHCAP), where she held multiple leadership roles. Her commitment to service extended beyond professional boundaries—she was known for cooking meals for the sick, offering counsel to those in need, and welcoming anyone to her table. To Lorna, there was always room for more.

A member of Martin Temple AME Zion Church, Lorna found joy in her faith, her family, and her passions. She was an avid sports fan, especially of boxing and football, and enjoyed watching her favorite show, Wheel of Fortune. Her container garden flourished with fruits, herbs, and vegetables, tended with the same care she gave to those around her. Lorna also loved making pottery and became quite accomplished, sharing her art with many she loved. She spent years perfecting her winemaking, always striving for the ideal balance of flavor and richness in every batch.

Lorna was elegant and reserved, yet shrewd and decisive. She was the quiet force behind many decisions, the trusted advisor, and the fierce protector of those she loved. Her expressive eyebrows often revealed what words did not—whether joy or vexation, her feelings were always clear.

She is survived by her devoted husband Magnus; children Sonja, Franz, and Sydne; stepdaughter Andrea; daughters-in-law Lisa Mullings and Janeen Sanders-Mullings; her brother, Lister Tennant and sister Marie Harrow; sisters-in-law Madge Tennant and Deneen Tennant; and five cherished grandchildren: Michael Mullings, Stephanie Mullings, Kaitlyn Mullings, Kendall Sanders-Mullings, and Logan Sanders-Mullings. Lorna was reunited in peace with her daughter Susan, who passed before her.

Lorna Mullings lived a life of dignity, compassion, and quiet leadership. Her legacy endures in the lives she touched, the meals she shared, and the wisdom she imparted. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

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