Lorraine Lunt Godfrey

February 14, 1919 - November 10, 2017

Lorraine was born in San Francisco to Stephen Bertram and Georgia McKinley Lunt. She was the eldest of two children and was extremely close to her younger brother Stephen Jr. Lorraine graduated from Lowell High School and attended UC Berkeley, where she graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. While at Cal, she worked at The Pelican humor magazine, and was a lifetime member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She served as Secretary for the Alumni Class of ‘41 for over 50 years. Lorraine earned two Masters Degrees from San Francisco State before receiving her Ph.D. in Education from the University of San Francisco in 1978.

Lorraine was married for a short time to Joseph McCarthy with whom she had a son, Gary. Three years later she met her second husband Bill Godfrey and married in November 1950. They had one son Bill Jr. They lived in Menlo Park for close to fifty years. In addition to raising two sons and two step-sons, Lorraine taught at Frederick Burke Laboratory School and later at San Francisco State in the Elementary Education Department. She was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Colonial Dames, the Atherlons, and the Menlo Atherton AAUW. She was a member of the International Reading Association, and served as Director of the California Reading Association and President of the San Mateo County Reading Association. She was also an active member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and Presbyterian Womens Group.

Lorraine moved in to the Vi Lifecare Facility shortly after it opened and loved living there. She spent her last few years in the Vi’s Assisted Living Unit.

Lorraine was one of a kind. It was appropriate that she was born on Valentine’s Day because she loved everyone and everyone loved her. She was always cheerful and interested in others and their stories and families. She showed grace and strength in the face of adversity.

She is survived by her two sons Gary (Teresa), and Bill (Kath), ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband (Bill) and two step sons (Patrick and Christopher).

A Memorial will be held in her honor on Saturday, February 24, 11:00 a.m. at the Community Hall, Portola Valley Town Center, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA. Donations in Lorraine’s memory may be made to her two favorite charities KQED and the Sierra Club.