Lorraine A. Allison

Lorraine Allison was one of my very first college professors. She taught Comp 101 at the time, and I had taken it because it was one of the liberal arts requirements.

At the time, I thought I wanted to be an elementary school teacher, and she was the first to say, “Are you sure? I think you’d be a wonderful high school teacher.”

The love and care she showed all of us (as her students) made my first semester of college amazing, and she has OFTEN been on my mind. My heart was broken when I heard that she was in hospice, because one of the true living lights on the North Shore was moving on.

I will never forget her. Thank you so much Professor Allison. Thank you for your the education you gave me, the guidance you offered, and most of all for your wonderful sense of kindness and cheer. You REALLY made a difference in my life. Thank you.

Lorraine was a wonderful neighbor of mine when I lived in Salem MA and we shared our love (and our losses) of Shelties over many years…I had my Jessie, then Katie, she had her Savannah & Max, and we along with her son Chris would often end up meeting up in Forest River Park on our dog walks. Those happy days and silly doggie antics are some of the memories I wish to hold on to now through my tears.

In late 2016 when I was readying to move to FL with my Mini Aussie Mix, Sophie, Lorraine made a point to have us over for a farewell gathering where Sophie could also say goodbye to her Sheltie, Beau Geste and where Lorraine kindly gave me a beautiful antique book to remember Salem and NE by, Ever New England.

When I heard the sad news yesterday I took it out of the bookcase and out fell the card she had written to me & Sophie from her, Chris & Beau Geste and these words written by her are exactly what I would wish to say back to her now: “Thank you for all the precious moments we have shared in dog love and human experience.” They seem even more precious now since I didn’t know then that I would not make it back to Salem to visit before now.

Lorraine was one of the most intelligent, caring and kind human beings I have met in my life and it’s hard to think about a Salem without her in it even as her beautiful spirit will continue to live on there & in our hearts everywhere.

So Chris, my deepest sympathies for the loss of your friend and amazing mother who can rest in peace knowing that you will continue to care for her beloved Beau Geste.

I’m incredibly sad to hear of this loss. I was a student of Professor Allison’s four years ago, during my freshman year at Salem State. As I prepare to graduate,I looked her up to see if I could get in touch to thank her for all her wisdom during my semester with her, and to tell her how much of an impact she had on my college career. Professor Allison was never afraid to stand up for what’s right and always shared stories about her family and childhood. Her breadth of knowledge on history was endless and she always shared her deep love for the United States. Professor Allison was down to earth and I’ll always remember when I stayed after class to seek her advice on a paper I was writing for her. As usual, she gave incredible advise and took a personal interest in my paper, which was a huge deal for me as the paper was about a matter that was of huge personal importance. I’ll always remember class with her. Even though I’m not longer at Salem State, she was the one figure throughout my college career that I’ll always remember