Laraine Wotring

Laraine grew up on the Wotring family farm in Ogden Township, Michigan. It was there that she learned to drive tractors, grain trucks and to operate all manner of mechanical farming equipment. Of course, for those who grew up on the farm there was also the dreaded “hoeing the beans” which she did without complaining (much), she never looked back on that task with any nostalgia. Her farm upbringing gave her a basic understanding and interest in all things mechanical and therefore after her graduation from Blissfield High School 1972 she enrolled the School of Engineering at Michigan State University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Packaging Engineering.
Upon completion of her degree, she was hired as a packaging engineer for Kellogg in Battle Creek where she worked for several years before moving to farm country in Shedden, Ontario near her new job at the Kellogg plant in London, Ontario. Laraine continued to work at Kellogg for 30+ years eventually rising to the position of Senior Facility/Maintenance Engineer before her retirement in 2012.
Laraine was very active in the Christian Science Church in London, serving multiple three-year terms as First Reader and as a board member of the church. She also worked in the Christian Science reading room every week and served on the board of a local London food pantry.
Laraine was quite adventurous. She once went sky diving with the Tecumseh sky diving club. She traveled as far south as Machu Pichu, Peru and as far north as Nunavut near the Northwest Passage in northern Canada. She also loved to camp and went on many camping trips in the parks of Ontario with friends where they would portage their canoe far into the park to experience the unspoiled beauty of nature and hide their food from bears. Laraine made several trips to Michigan each year to visit with her family. She is greatly missed.
Laraine is survived by her beloved dogs, Burke and Taffy; brothers Dale (Gayle) of Washington and Glenn (Carol) of Clinton; sister Shirley Hackett (Dave) of Ceresco; sister-in-law Cathy; nephews Corey, Casey and Jesse and niece Sonia. She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Margaret Wotring and her brother Ken.
Thank you to the staff at Extendicare Port Stanley, who gave Laraine excellent care. Thank you to special friends and neighbors who were also there for Laraine. We appreciate all of you more than you know.

My husband and I became neighbours with Laraine 25 years ago when we moved into our home in the little village of Frome. Laraine lived in a converted schoolhouse directly across the road from us. At first, we didn’t see much of each other as she worked and had a busy l social life in London and Don and I also worked full time and we spent time fixing up our house. What originally brought us together were dogs. Laraine had Brittany Spaniels and I LOVE dogs so I got to know her and her dogs- Zip and Red. When Zip passed away, along came a puppy and Laraine was having trouble finding the right name for him and I suggested she name him after her beloved Blue Jays- and that’s how Jay found his name.

By this time we were no longer just neighbours, but good friends. We chatted most days about the dogs, the weather and about the Toronto sports teams- the blue jays, the raptors and the leafs. Laraine LOVED these teams, but her favourites were the Jays and Raptors. We had a WONDERFUL time thoroughly enjoying the raptors playoff runs and the fantastic championship win for the raptors in 2019. Laraine rarely missed a blue jays or raptors game. If she was in her car, it was on the radio. If she was home, it was on the tv and it she was outside with her dogs, she carried around a battery operated radio and listened to the games while she worked in the yard or sat with the dogs.

Laraine enjoyed the quiet of our local country landscape. Her yard on 2 sides had a cattle field and we often texted each other to announce the arrival of a new calf born often quite close to her yard. There was some excitement occasionally when a cow might escape the pasture and once Laraine woke up to find a cow looking in her bed room window at her !!! Both Laraine and I enjoyed the wonders of nature. Over the years, we shared the joy of a snowy owl visiting a hydro pole just down our road, or a flock of tundra swans resting in the field. We watched countless cicadas shedding their skin and monarch butterflies mating in her trees. We texted each other when the moon was especially bright or beautiful and often stood outside to listen to the coyotes.

Laraine’s kindness shone through in many ways. When my children were young and they were the only ones in our neighbourhood trick or treating, Laraine bought a large inflatable Halloween decoration that she put up just for when my kids visited her. For about 4 years in a row, Laraine hauled that large Halloween inflatable thing and had it ready for when we visited. She always gave out full size chocolate bars too. She was always willing to help us out. Often if my dogs were facing a long 8 hour day in our home alone, Laraine would come and take each one out separately for a nice walk around her property. We worked together to clear snow from each others driveways and helped each other with grass cutting.

We will miss Laraine’s kindness and wisdom. I will always think of my good friend when the raptors win a great game, or when the Jays win the world series soon. And they will win it soon !

My sincere condolences to Laraine’s
family. She was dear friend. June Smith and I will very much miss our monthly dinners with Laraine. We had many really good conversations and lots of laughs. Rest in peace my friend.

Laraine was a good friend for the many years I sang at Christian Science services. I enjoyed working with her on repertoire, and speaking to her as we shared a few moments before services would begin. I know that she was strong in her faith and that she would have faced her death bravely. I shall miss her!