Margaret (Betty) Goranson Loverin's Obituary
Our loving, joyful mother, Margaret Elizabeth Goranson Loverin, “Betty”, went to be with her Lord peacefully on the morning of September 12, 2020. She lived a life exemplified by love and generosity and was a positive, strong and encouraging friend to all those who had the privilege of knowing her. She loved life and that joy was reflected in her contagious smile as she radiated Christ’s love to everyone she met. Her welcoming heart loved easily, laughed often, and always made room for one more at the Loverin family dinner table.
Betty was born April 25th, 1927 in Keene, New Hampshire and embodied her strong New England roots throughout her life. She had a wonderful childhood growing up in Laconia, New Hampshire with her parents and brother Ed, and often told the story of receiving .25 a week allowance in which she promptly gave .10 for the church collection plate, .10 for the weekly movie, and .5 cents for popcorn. As an active, young woman she was involved in the Laconia Congregational Church youth group and spent summers lifeguarding on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and swimming to Mile Island from the cabin her father built on Paugus Bay. She graduated from Laconia High School in 1945, married the love of her life, Robert Paul Loverin in a 1947 Christmas wedding, and graduated in 1948 with an RN degree from Hartford Hospital School of Nursing. It was then that she began the most enjoyable and treasured role of her life, that of wife and mother, having six children from 1948 to 1963, and welcoming each new arrival with love and enthusiasm.
We became a military family in 1953 and our first station was Wheeler AFB in Hawaii. As a young mother and newly minted officer’s wife, Mom flourished in the true Hawaiian culture, learning to hula, becoming involved in the Officer’s Wives Club and raising her young children in the idyllic and untouched beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. For the rest of her life, Hawaii would always hold a special place in her heart. Throughout the next decade, the family was stationed in Germany and at many different bases in the USA, before settling at McChord Air Force Base in 1966. For the next 53 years, Mom’s annual Christmas letter was sent to friends near and far, a testament to her deep and abiding friendships.
Mom was a giver and had a servant’s heart as was evident in her full life both before and after retirement. She and Dad joined Oberlin Congregational Church in 1966 and remained active members for most of their lives. Mom retired from the State after 20 years as a nutritional consultant, and in her “spare time” she was a loving and involved grandmother as well as a valued volunteer at Madigan Hospital.
Mom lived her faith and left that legacy to her children. We take great comfort in knowing she is now reunited with her cherished husband Bob and with a host of beloved family and friends who filled the Loverin household over the past 54 years. She is survived by her six children: Linda Rein, Peg Loverin (Suzy), Jan Pritchard (David), Bob Loverin (Jane), Nancy Loverin (Dick), and Don Loverin (Kathi), nine grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
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