Lorie Bennett

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH FOR Lorraine Edith Bennett (nee Daniell, formerly McMullen) Early childhood: Lorraine (known as Lorry) Daniell spent a happy childhood in Hamilton, Ontario. An only child, she had many neighbourhood friends and was passionate about figure skating, spending as much time as possible at the rink. Summers were spent at the Winona cottage on Lake Ontario, barefoot and busy swimming, exploring and slamming screen doors. Adolescent years: Lorry became Lorie more sophisticated than a British truck and attended Westdale Secondary School where she was a cheerleader and did well in sciences and math. She completed Grade 13 and hoped to enter Normal School to become a kindergarten teacher. However, her parents wanted her to have a university education so she entered science programs at the University of Western Ontario. But cheerleading and fencing were too much fun to keep up her marks. After waitressing at Bigwin Inn on the Bay of Islands in the summer of 1954, Lorie completed a fashion merchandising course in Chicago and was hired by Simpsons department store in Toronto as a bridal consultant. She lived at Fudger House, the elegant home Simpsons provided for its young female staff. Early adulthood: Wanting to be independent, Lorie and a roommate rented an attic flat in an old house and she left Simpsons to work as an Eyeball Girl at the Hospital for Sick Children. There were four girls in the eye clinic who were trained to test children for glasses and assist doctors and interns as needed. Lorie most enjoyed working with children with disabilities and carried that into volunteering with cerebral palsy children after she was married. Lorie met Bill McMullen that Bigwin summer, they dated often and were married on October 3, 1958. Two months in Europe followed. Bill was now a chartered accountant and transferred to Edmonton where they arrived to a violent snowstorm on New Years Eve. The next few years were filled with the arrival of three children, Bill, Marcy and Doug. Active in skiing in winter and camping in summer, Lorie still found time to volunteer with the Junior Service League and an inner city Head Start program as well as teach figure skating on outdoor rinks. In 1972, Lorie began working in community development and continued that interest with the Edmonton Social Planning Council. In 1977, Lorie and Bill bought a beautiful log cottage on Lake Edith in Jasper National Park but, sadly, Bill drowned in the nearby Maligne River in 1979. A year later, Lorie sold the Edmonton home and moved to Victoria, BC but returned every summer to Lake Edith where many happy memories were formed. Through the 1980s, Lorie worked for the Community Council of Greater Victoria then, in the 1990s, she was assistant to B.C. MLA Andrew Petter. She loved both jobs. In 1985, Lorie married Paul Bennett, a journalist, and took his son Jonathan under her wing. Lorie and Paul also travelled the world, thanks to Marcys affiliation with Delta Airlines. They wrote about their travels, and, since they retired in 2000, have been widely published in Canadian newspapers. My proudest family moments: Travels with children and grandchildren to China in 2005 and to Africa in 2008. Such amazing memories My proudest career accomplishments: In 1988, assisting in the establishment of Victorias Bridges for Women, an employment program for women with a background of abuse and trauma. Bridges continues. In the 1990s, working with Andrew Petter and others to create the 85 km Galloping Goose and Lochside Trails from Sidney to Sooke on Vancouver Island. Lorie leaves husband Paul, children William McMullen (Sue McKenzie), Marcia Matheson and Douglas McMullen, stepson Jonathan Bennett and grandchildren Shayla McKenzie, Sarah and Andrew Matheson, Liam McMullen, Austin and Kendra Bennett.