Lorraine Ann Fricka

Lorraine Ann Rich Fricka, formerly of Washington, DC, passed away peacefully at Taylor Melfa House, Denton, MD, where she resided for the past three years. Born in Bath, Maine, she was the only child of the late Fred P. and Laura A. Dalton Rich, and step-daughter to the late Edward J. Bernier. Much of Lorraine’s early years were spent in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where she was raised by her maternal grandmother. She returned to the States to reside with her mother and step-father in Rockland, Maine, where she graduated from Rockland High School. Memories from high school, she always said, were her best and most favorite. The family moved to Brunswick, Maine, where Lorraine worked as a bookkeeper at Montgomery Ward’s. She also worked at the Bath Iron Works and attended nursing school at Deering Nursing School in Farmington, Maine. Lorraine proudly and honorably served her country in the United Sates Navy as a Pharmacist’s Mate, Second Class, and was based in Bainbridge, MD and Camp Lejeune, NC. Lorraine moved to Washington, DC in the late 40’s and graduated from the Washington School for Secretaries. She also attended a modeling school. Lorraine began her career at the Evening Star, later renamed the Washington Star, in the advertising department in the early 50’s. She was part of the development and inception of the television magazine for the paper, and eventually worked her way up to assistant editor of the TV Magazine, working closely with the late Bernie Harrison. Her nearly 30 year career at the Washington Star was her love and her passion, and she greatly enjoyed being part of the Star family. It was a very sad and difficult time for Lorraine when the shining light of the Star was extinguished in 1981. Shortly after its demise, she went to work for the Washingtonian Magazine, where she was an editorial assistant for five years. On February 20, 1954, Lorraine married Ronald J. Fricka, formerly of Cicero, IL, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown, Washington, DC, where they were parishioners for over twenty years. They were married for 51 years at the time of Ronald’s death in June, 2005. Lorraine enjoyed traveling and visited many wonderful places, including several trips to Ireland, Hawaii, France and various provinces in Canada. She loved Rehoboth Beach in Delaware and would spend several weeks there every summer. She will be deeply missed by her daughter, Deborah Rementer and her husband, Bobby, of Harrington, DE, of whom she thought the world; her only grandson and shining light of her life, Keats, whom she adored; her brother in-law Joel Fricka and his wife, Doris, of Crest Hill, IL; her sister in-law, Marjorie Markowski of Urbana, IA; a special cousin, Lorraine Dunn of PEI, Canada, and her granddaughter, Robin. The family wishes to express abundant thanks and appreciation for the very special care, patience and love given to Lorraine by the owners and staff of the Taylor Melfa House. A funeral mass will take place at 10:00 am on Friday, May 11 at St. Christopher’s Catholic Church, 1861 Harbor Drive, Chester, MD, where friends may call one hour prior to the service. A private interment will take place at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, VA. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Lorraine’s memory be made to St. Christopher’s Catholic Church, P.O. Box 660, Chester, MD 21619-0660; or Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary of Sussex County, P.O. Box 430, Nassau, DE 19969.

Lorraine Ann Fricka

May 5, 2012