Brandon Solarez
Green Valley, AZ - Lorna Kitchak (Lemmenes), 73, left this life on Monday, May 2, 2022. She passed away at Banner University Medical Center, after a long fight against cancer.
Lorna cared deeply about her family, faith, and friends. A lifelong teacher, she helped countless children to improve their lives. She was a member of the Valley Presbyterian Church in Green Valley. She was also an active member and past president of the American Association of University Women Green Valley Chapter (AAUW-GV), where she advocated for gender equity through education.
Lorna attended Central College in Pella, Iowa. She graduated summa cum laude in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She moved to Racine, Wisconsin where she had her career in education in the Racine Unified School District, and met her husband Jim. Jim and Lorna were married in Alto, Wisconsin on July 20, 1974. While she was committed to her career, she also devoted many years to raising and supporting her daughters. She patiently helped with homework, shuttled the girls to soccer and piano lessons, and was even a Girl Scout troop leader.
Lorna was kind, intelligent, and independent. She enjoyed good literature, puzzles and word games and beating the contestants on Jeopardy. She had great pleasure in spending time with her family and hosting social gatherings with her husband and their friends. She moved through life with positivity and patience.
She is survived by her husband, James; children Jennifer Kitchak and Jill (David) Palmer; brothers Larry (Gretchen) Lemmenes, Dewey (Ginger) Lemmenes; sisters Ann S. Lemmenes, Ellen (Steve) Grams, Jane (Steve) Derksen-Chene; grandchildren Jay Dombrow and Forest Palmer. She was preceded in death by her parents Howard and Everdean Lemmenes and brother-in-law Derk Derksen.
A memorial gathering for friends and family will be held on Friday, July 1, 2022 beginning at noon at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the AAUW scholarship fund in Lorna’s name https://greenvalley-az.aauw.net/scholarships/make-a-contribution/.
Lorna cared deeply about her family, faith, and friends. A lifelong teacher, she helped countless children to improve their lives. She was a member of the Valley Presbyterian Church in Green Valley. She was also an active member and past president of the American Association of University Women Green Valley Chapter (AAUW-GV), where she advocated for gender equity through education.
Lorna attended Central College in Pella, Iowa. She graduated summa cum laude in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She moved to Racine, Wisconsin where she had her career in education in the Racine Unified School District, and met her husband Jim. Jim and Lorna were married in Alto, Wisconsin on July 20, 1974. While she was committed to her career, she also devoted many years to raising and supporting her daughters. She patiently helped with homework, shuttled the girls to soccer and piano lessons, and was even a Girl Scout troop leader.
Lorna was kind, intelligent, and independent. She enjoyed good literature, puzzles and word games and beating the contestants on Jeopardy. She had great pleasure in spending time with her family and hosting social gatherings with her husband and their friends. She moved through life with positivity and patience.
She is survived by her husband, James; children Jennifer Kitchak and Jill (David) Palmer; brothers Larry (Gretchen) Lemmenes, Dewey (Ginger) Lemmenes; sisters Ann S. Lemmenes, Ellen (Steve) Grams, Jane (Steve) Derksen-Chene; grandchildren Jay Dombrow and Forest Palmer. She was preceded in death by her parents Howard and Everdean Lemmenes and brother-in-law Derk Derksen.
A memorial gathering for friends and family will be held on Friday, July 1, 2022 beginning at noon at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the AAUW scholarship fund in Lorna’s name https://greenvalley-az.aauw.net/scholarships/make-a-contribution/.
