Lorraine Mary Wienbrock—Lorrie, Nana, Mama Pajama—died peacefully Wednesday, February 14, 2024, at age 86. She was surrounded by her children, who loved her more than words can say.

Born on December 18, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, she was the third and youngest child of Polish immigrant parents Joseph Walczak and Mary Berkowitz. Though she grew up extremely poor, she often said she never knew it, and the memories of her childhood that she shared were of small moments of beauty, joy, and togetherness: ghost stories told on Passaic stoops at twilight, her mother bringing in frozen-solid dungarees from the clothesline in winter that stood up on their own until they melted next to the warmth of the stove (she did an excellent impression of this), the sunflower and morning glory seeds her mother would toss from that same window in spring to brighten the tenement backyard, the beautiful clothes her mother made for her: a red hooded cloak, an emerald velvet dress.

She sometimes recalled moments she understood that she was poor: her single mother took on sewing jobs in addition to factory work, and Lorrie remembered how often clients would not pay her mother until after Christmas—they needed to buy gifts for their children and didn’t have the money to spare—so her family went without. When she told these stories, she was not upset by the lack of gifts, she felt for her mother in that moment.

Though she did not have any financial advantages, she did have a fine, analytical mind. She excelled in school; her mother was not able to help with schoolwork and did not push her to get good grades or study hard; Lorrie’s insight and intelligence, relentless curiosity, and desire to understand the world and the people in it were inherent traits. In high school, she was studying to be a secretary—paying for college was out of the question—when her guidance counselor decided that Lorrie not continuing her studies would be an absolute travesty. At her guidance counselor’s urging, Lorrie applied for and received a full scholarship to Montclair State College. She was a member of the Kappa Rho Epsilon Society, earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, and graduated summa Laude.

She likely would have graduated Magna or Summa cum Laude had she not met her husband-to-be, Stanley Wienbrock, while attending Montclair. Lorrie loved to laugh, and Stan loved to see her laughing. In addition to earning bachelor’s degrees, they made life-long friends and wonderful memories. Stan and Lorrie married on July 21, 1962, at St. Joseph Royal Catholic Church in Passaic, New Jersey.

After graduating from Montclair, Lorrie taught English, first at Cliffside Park Senior High School until 1965, then at Berkeley College at Garret Mountain in 1980, where she became Chairman of General Education and was awarded Teacher of the Year. In 1988, she joined the faculty of Wayne Valley High School, where she taught until her retirement in 2003. During her time at Wayne Valley, she earned a Master of Arts in English from William Paterson College.

Lorrie taught nearly everything a high school English teacher could teach: American Literature, World Literature, critical thinking, and writing as well as leading the yearbook and literary magazines and teaching English in Japan. Her passion, however, was for British Literature. She loved Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Orwell, both the language and the timeless emotions these writers  captured, grand yet mundane moments that she felt deeply and shared with her students; through her sincere and deep connections, she taught them not just how to be human but to be a better human, the best human one could be.

Her other passion was for language. More than relating the rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics, she showed writers how meaning can change depending on the structure of a sentence, how clarity is eroded or heightened, and how intention is refined or distorted by the small choices a writer makes. A magnificent reader and editor, she went well beyond commas and periods, she stewarded works from a mere sketch of an idea to an illumination of thought and experience, all while explaining complex concepts so simply, so effectively, that the writers came away empowered and confident to better communicate in their own lives.

Lorrie spent most of her adult life as a resident of Morse Lakes, first living on Sycamore Road and then, following a brief residence in Glen Rock, settling at 45 Highland Road, Bloomingdale, New Jersey, for the rest of her life. Here she made more life-long friends and more wonderful memories. She raised her three children in Morse Lakes, pouring into their childhoods all that she did not have in hers and more. She did not neglect the smallest moment of beauty or joy that she could give to her family or her friends, she never failed to think of and act on anything she thought would make a memory special or a person feel loved.

In her retirement, she continued to feed her intellect: She read books for multiple book clubs, played bridge at every opportunity, became a Master Gardener, and volunteered at the New Jersey Botanical Garden. As a gardener, she was no different than she was as a person, saving seedlings and suckers most others would discard. She continued to act as an editor, working with doctoral candidates to not just refine their work but to elevate it, guiding the writer to sharpen and clarify their thoughts in a way that would have made Orwell proud.

Though she was considerate and thoughtful almost to a fault, make no mistake: she was also tough as nails. If anyone or anything she loved was at risk—her family, her friends, her community—she was relentless. She worked tirelessly to protect the wetlands and ecosystem that surrounded Morse Lakes from near-constant threats from builders, worked to establish an enrichment program at her children’s schools, was a thorn in the side of local government, and volunteered for candidates she believed in at every level. Widowed at age 48, she raised her three children on her own with no safety net, put them through college (they all became teachers), and made sure they lacked for nothing throughout. She was a mother to all who needed one, including her two granddaughters, of whom she was immensely proud.

For someone who faced so many challenges—child of a single parent, single parent herself at age 48—she did not dwell on money or things; instead, she gave whatever she could to those that she loved so that their experience would be better. Her true brilliance was in her ability to see people deeply, what would wound them slightly or bring them a moment of happiness and knowing they were loved. Her whole existence turned on this understanding. She was a friend and a mother to all who needed one. There are no words to express how much this brilliant, beautiful woman will be missed.

She is survived by her son Scott Wienbrock, her daughter Jill Wienbrock (John Barrella), and her grandchildren Allyson Nicole and Emily Rose. She is predeceased by her husband Stanley Wienbrock (December  28, 1934 - May 24, 1987) and her daughter, Lisa Ann Strobert (July 16, 1965 - February 21, 2006).

All those who loved her are invited to gather at the Pompton Reformed Church, 59 Hamburg Turnpike, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, 07442,  on March 2, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. ET to remember and honor her. The memorial service will be led by Pastor John Burden and followed by a repast at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Lorrie’s name to the New Jersey Botanical Garden, details coming  soon.

Are melted into air, into thin air:

And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve

And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep."

William Shakespeare

From The Tempest, Act 4 Scene 1

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/lorraine-wienbrock/obituary/

Copy