Loraine Smith Gates
MESA – Loraine Smith Gates, 81, entered the loving embrace of the Lord on Saturday, August
11, 2018 after a prolonged illness. Lorie was born in Riverside, Ill., where she grew up with brothers
Milton and Arthur. The three spent summers with their cousins, all boys, at the family cottage on Lake
Michigan in the town of Montague. As the only girl
Lorie was sometimes excluded from the five boys’ activities and never allowed into the secret tree house built in the woods. That was one of the many fond memories she would often recount with an infectious sense of humor that could send ripples of laughter through a room. Lorie had a lifelong love of reading and writing and attended Beloit College to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English. It was there she met her beloved husband Philip Gates while working together on the college newspaper. Lorie was a member of Tri-Delt sorority and graduated from Beloit in 1959. A decade later, with three kids in tow, she and Phil moved to Amherst, Mass., where she earned a master’s degree in elementary education in 1972 at UMass. It was in the college town of Amherst where Lorie became active in the women’s liberation movement and a proud feminist. Her husband would affectionately refer to his soul-mate as “Ms.” Always on the move, Lorie and her husband traded in New England autumns for southwestern sunsets as they ventured across the country to Scottsdale, Ariz. She taught in the Scottsdale public schools for 17 years, specializing in working with gifted children.
Lorie has been a life-long Presbyterian and was trained as a mission volunteer for the Presbyterian Church (USA). After retiring from teaching she devoted her life to missionary work. She teamed up with her husband to give interpretive presentations to illustrate the human suffering of the women and children they met or learned about on their travels from Mexico to Mozambique. A professionally trained storyteller, Lorie created personas of these people and traveled the country telling their true life stories in character. She portrayed everything from a Catholic nun in El Salvador, to a 10-year-old orphaned African boy in Zimbabwe to a hispanic mother working in the maquiladoras on the Mexican border. Her powerful storytelling presentations riveted audiences and helped raise awareness of human suffering. She earned many accolades including the prestigious Grand Canyon Presbytery’s Dr. George B. Brooks Award. This honor was in recognition of Lorie’s dedication to social justice, human rights and peacemaking efforts in Presbyterian church communities throughout the state of Arizona. In the fall of 2009 she received the Distinguished Service Award at Beloit College on the occasion of her 50th year class reunion. Lorie was also a life-long member of P.E.O., a philanthropic society dedicated to promoting educational opportunities for women.
Lorie was an avid reader of mysteries and took immense joy in watching the birds and wildlife outside her window. She loved knitting and could be found most days working on a sweater or blanket for her growing number of great grandchildren. She is survived by her husband Philip, three children Betsy Toombs, James Gates, Sara Lewis and their spouses, her two brothers Milton and Arthur Smith, and their spouses, sister-in-law Janet Anderson and spouse, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
A private family memorial service will be held at a later date. A fund has been established to purchase a much needed wheelchair accessible service van for the many incapacitated residents living in Lorie’s senior community. She benefited greatly from the community’s transportation services. A tax deductible donation for the replacement van can be made in memory of Lorie to the Good Samaritan Society, Mesa Good Shepherd, 5848 E. University Drive, Mesa, AZ 85205.