Lorraine Christman

Lorraine Larson Christman (née Grunert), 93, of Greensboro, NC, passed away peacefully on October 19th at the WellSpring Retirement Community. A cherished mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, her infectious smile touched everyone she met.

She was born an only child on December 21, 1931, in Chicago to the late Paul and Mary Grunert. Lorraine spent her early years in Chicago, and after graduating from high school— first in her class—attended Spanish immersion classes and became a translator for the R.R. Donnelley publishing company. Over the years, she became an avid knitter and cross-stitcher. Everyone she knew got a bookmark or afghan for a birthday gift or for no reason at all. She was a dedicated volunteer at the Lutheran church and her children’s schools. She loved travel, hot tea, and Hershey’s chocolate.

She is survived by her two children, Susan McDonald (Mackey) of North Carolina, and Donald Larson Jr. (Christine) of Pennsylvania, from her first marriage; and her grandchildren, Grace Williams, daughter of Susan, and Emily and Madeline Larson, daughters of Donald and Christine.

She married the love of her life, Bob Christman, in 1990, adding four children, Karen Morgan (Rick) of Michigan, Karel Hemler (Tom) of Colorado, Keith Christman of New York, and Kathy Christman (Mark Matlock) of South Carolina, as well as many grandchildren and great- grandchildren. They shared a strong faith, a love of extensive travel, a passion for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the tradition of freezing gallons of vegetable soup and stuffed peppers for the winter. They loved their life in Pittsburgh, PA, until 2020, when they moved to the WellSpring Retirement Community in Greensboro, North Carolina. There they shared five wonderful years until Bob’s death in April 2024.
A service to celebrate Lorraine’s life will be held at Ruthfred Lutheran Church in Bethel Park, PA, on November 1st at 11:00 am. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will follow the service at the Bethel Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lorraine’s memory to Ruthfred Lutheran Church Pastor’s Fund - 3401 South Park Road - Bethel Park, PA 15102

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