Lorraine (Quinones) Velez, age 69, passed away on January 29, 2023 at home surrounded by her loving family. She was born on December 20, 1953 in Bronx, NY and raised her family in Springfield, Massachusetts. Lorraine graduated with her Associate Degree from Springfield Technical Community College before going on to work as an Insurance Specialist for Mass Mutual for many years before she retired. Her retirement lead her to “work” at her next and most favorite job, Bingo. She is survived by her beloved husband, Miguel Velez of Springfield; who loved her through thick and thin—from a grocery store love story to a lifetime of adventure. Her mother, Juana Perez of Williamsburg, VA; two daughters, Juanita Phillips and her husband Eon Phillips of Riverview, FL and Natalie Velez-Cotto and her husband Angel Cotto of Longmeadow; two sisters, Magda Rios of Williamsburg, VA and Myrna Quinones of Springfield; two brothers, Lorenzo Quinones and his wife Millie of Lake Mary, FL and Wilfredo Medina and his spouse Axel Reyes of Bronx, NY; along with seven beloved grandchildren, Wilfredo, Oriana, Danny, Trinity, Zion, Cameron and Abrielle. She is predeceased by her father, Lorenzo Quinones, a daughter Lorraine Cabrera and her sister Emily Sosa.
Lorraine had a personality that was indescribable and not a single person could possibly muster the words to accurately portray her. She was unlike any other—you simply had to experience her to understand how truly unique she was. She commonly remarked she was “her own brand” and no one could ever do it like her; a statement that will forever remain unequivocally true.
To know Lorraine was to love her. She could drive you a little bit crazy, but at the end of the day, she was one of those people that you could never forget. She was the kind of person that could make a stranger’s day, a person you could listen to forever, tell endless stories about, and the kind of grandmother who would let you do things like paint her entire body with paint that probably wasn’t supposed to be used for such an activity. She made friends wherever she went, even if just for a moment. She made people feel seen and heard. She was so authentically herself that it is seemingly impossible to fully incapsulate her essence in words.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, February 19, 2023 at The Elks Lodge of Springfield. The Grise Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.GriseFH.com (http://www.grisefh.com/).