Lorraine Thomas Starkey died early Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at her home in Nampa, Idaho, hanging onto life until a beloved grandson, Trent Starkey, could fly in from Oregon to be with her. He arrived shortly before midnight. Lorraine passed away 10 minutes after midnight on her 97th birthday. She likely had a glorious birthday reunion on the other side, joining her parents, Robert Lewis Thomas and Juanita Maranda Stowe Thomas, as well as her late husband, Glenn Albert Starkey, and a son, Blake Starkey.

Mabel Lorraine Thomas was born February 7, 1926, in Malad, Idaho and was raised in a two-room log cabin on the Thomas Ranch, seven miles northeast of Malad. She lived in the town of Malad during the winters of her childhood, but she shared the two-room cabin with her parents and six siblings during the rest of the time. There was no electricity at the cabin, and for much of her childhood they had no running water. They had to carry drinking water to the cabin from half a mile away. She lived there with her family until graduating from high school in June 1944.

Lorraine's big heart was exceeded in size only by her smile. Her warm countenance, infectious smile and innate cheerfulness brightened any room she was in and blessed the lives of all who knew her. She had a zest for life, and her mind remained sharp up to the day of her death. She was a devoted wife to her husband and a devoted mother and grandmother to her sons, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren.

After high school, Lorraine and three of her girlfriends from Malad moved to Ogden, Utah, where they got jobs at the Ogden Depot. It was there, while making machine-gun parts, that Lorraine met Glenn Starkey, another worker at the depot. Glenn was a World War ll veteran who had served five years in the Army.

After dating Glenn a couple of times, Lorraine was laid off from the depot. She m oved to Boise for a year before returning to Ogden and reconnecting with Glenn. Lorraine was working in the kitchen at Kee Memorial Hospital when Glenn picked her up on her lunch break. "Let's get married," he told her. "Ok," she responded. They drove to Evanston, Wyoming, where they got married five minutes to midnight on June 15, 1946.

Lorraine and Glenn lived most of their married life in Oregon, where Glenn spent his career working for the Oregon Department of Transportation. He oversaw much of the construction of Interstate 84 through Oregon, including through the Columbia River Gorge. After his retirement they moved to Nampa, Idaho, where Glenn died May 16, 1993.

Despite living most of her life away from Malad, Lorraine still considered Malad her home. She remained in close contact with her siblings, other family members and many friends throughout her life.

Lorraine, the second oldest in a family of seven. children, outlived all of her siblings. She was preceded in death by her husband Glenn and her son Blake. She is survived by two sons, Gregg Starkey of Boise, Idaho, and Jedd Starkey and his wife Cathie of Richland, Washington; four grandsons, two granddaughters and 7 great-grandchildren.

Lorraine disliked the limelight. She chose cremation and to not have a funeral. Her ashes will be interred in the Malad City Cemetery, next to her husband and her son Blake.