Lorraine ("Lorrie") was born in 1930 to Dominica (Minnie) and James Tanso. She grew up in Boston’s North End. Lorraine was an only child but grew up surrounded by family. Her mother was one of six children and the families all lived within blocks of each other or sometimes sharing triple decker homes. Her cousins Joe, Johnnie Boy, Richie, Pidgie, Bertha, Eleanor and many more were like brothers and sisters. Her aunts Tillie, Annie, Toni and Ella and her uncle Tabby were like second mothers and fathers. Lorraine attended Girls High School in Boston. Her childhood was one of her happiest times. She had a marvelous singing voice and had the opportunity to perform at the Hatch Memorial Shell on the Esplanade. She grew up in the Big Band era and swooned, like many, over Frank Sinatra. Lorrie often played and so enjoyed the records of Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and others of the era. One of her first jobs was at the insurance firm, Dewick and Flanders. While at the firm, she recounted that the view from her desk overlooked the building of The Tobin Bridge in the late 1940’s.
Lorrie married Roland Manozzi in 1950. The couple had three children, Mark, Leanne and Chip. They settled first in Medford, MA and then in Stoneham, MA. Even though their marriage ended in 1965, Lorraine, ever industrious, secured a job at Hertz in Boston to support her young family. Lorraine and her three children settled in a two family in Medford owned by her parents. She would continue to live there for the next 54 years. Her neighbors, Marguerite Russo and Tom and Marilyn Sheehey were her closest friends. She offered another close friend, Adelaide Matterazzo, the apartment upstairs when Adelaide was forced to move from her home. The house was always filled with family and friends during holidays and the occasional “scat” card games.
She took an executive assistant role at The MA State College Building Authority where she worked for over 20 years. She developed a close relationship with her boss, Bob Stewart and his wife Jean and their family as well as co-workers Dorothy and Lou. Mr. Stewart would say that Lorraine kept the office running like a clock. She retired to care for her aging mother Minnie who suffered from Alzheimer’s. Lorrie was an avid Red Sox fan. Like so many of her contemporaries she was elated when the long arduous curse of the Bambino was finally put to rest when the Red Sox won the World Series. She grew up adoring The Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams. She spent many sunny summer afternoons at Fenway Park with her children. Lorraine was a spectacular cook and her recipes were coveted. They’ve been shared throughout the family and many of her dishes are still holiday favorites. There was probably no better meatball made in the world than Lorraine’s meatballs. She was a master of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve and passed this tradition to her children.
Two of Lorraine's proudest moments were attending her son, Mark's graduation from Marine Corp boot camp in Paris Island and attending the graduation of her daughter, Leanne and son, Chip from Lesley University - the first brother and sister to graduate together at the university. Lorraine adored her grandchildren and was an “on call” babysitter at any time. She travelled with her grandchildren to Disney World and marveled in their childhood excitement. She later sent her grandchildren monthly checks while they were in college and kept this walking around money as her secret with them. She arrived every Christmas with trash bags filled with gifts and warming containers filled with food.
Even though she was of somewhat limited means, she was a prolific giver to many charities, faithfully sending a check for $10 or $15 every month to countless charities. She was selfless and wanted to help wherever and whenever she could. Lorraine lived an amazing life. She toiled like so many, but the burdens of the day were never setbacks, but opportunities for a lesson that hard work, love and caring triumphed. She was a devoted daughter, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She will continue to be adored and missed by those who knew and loved her.
Relatives and friends will gather to celebrate her life at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, MA on October 15, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. followed by a grave side service at Oak Grove Cemetery, West Medford, MA. Social distancing protocols will be in effect. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or to Compassus Living Foundation, 10 Cadillac Drive, Suite 400, Brentwood, TN 37027.