Lorraine M. Kantola
Negaunee

Lorraine Mary Kantola, age 86, of Pine Street, Negaunee, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the loving care of her family and staff early Saturday morning on October 15, 2016 at Eastwood Nursing Center where she had been a resident for four years.
Lorraine was born on December 30, 1929 in Marquette, Michigan to Jacob and Lucille (Sharkey) DelBello and graduated from Bishop Baraga High School, Class of 1947. She married the love of her life, Reino Kantola, of Negaunee on April 10, 1948. Together they raised four children while living in Negaunee.
Mrs. Kantola was a member of St. Paul Catholic parish in Negaunee. She was a member of the Negaunee VFW Auxiliary. In her younger years, she played in the Ishpeming-Negaunee Horseshoe League and loved her walks. She especially enjoyed going to the Negaunee Senior Center to be with her friends. She and Reino loved country music and they enjoyed dancing the night away together. They also very much enjoyed an “occasional” trip to the casino. Lorraine always enjoyed going for rides with her family.
Above all else, Lorraine was a loving and caring wife and doting mother. Her family was her treasure in life, and she always cared for and enjoyed them more than anything in this world. Her children were the everyday focus of her motherly love. Lorraine shared that same love and devotion with her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren, and when she could, she attended their various events with a huge smile of pride on her face. All in all, her happiest times were always those spent surrounded by her family.
Lorraine will be remembered as a kind and generous soul to all who knew her. She called everyone “honey” and she meant it! Whenever you went to Eastwood, she could be seen going down the halls with her infectious smile, stopping along the way to talk to and say something nice to everyone. Lorraine was always attending various activities. She gained a reputation as a “social butterfly” at Eastwood and was elected as their “Valentine Queen” her very first year there.
Surviving are 2 sons: Alan (Dulcey) Kantola of Rudyard and Greg (Janice) Kantola of Negaunee; 2 daughters: Karen (Jim) Paquette and Kathy (Dennis) DelAngelo, both of Negaunee; 12 grandchildren: Mark (Nicole Clark) Kantola, Wendy (Tracy) Peterson, Jamie (Kenny) Bradley, Nicole (Terry) Hyttinen, Jill (Jason Siik) Paquette, Jodi (Jeff) Niemi, Kerri (Aaron) Smith, Lindsay (Brandon) Thompson, Chelsea DelAngelo, Chad (Thalicia Gray) DelAngelo, Zak (Jamie Vanlerberghe) Kantola and Olivia Kantola; 19 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters: Joyce O’Neill and Pat (Tom) Gardyko; and her Aunt, Agnes Morrisette. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Reino on April 16, 2003; 1 sister, Carol (Richard) Hibler; and her brother-in-law, Donald O’Neill.
The family of Lorraine would like to thank the entire wonderful staff at Eastwood Nursing Center for their loving care and compassion during our mother’s four year stay there. They were not only professional caregivers, they were so much more than that. They became Lorraine’s best friends at a time in her life when she truly needed them. We want to give special thanks and a big hug to Amy Fraley and the Eastwood activities department who brought so much joy to our mom.
Also, a very big thanks from our family to Dr. Wayne Carlson who did so much to help our mom. God bless you, Dr. Carlson!
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, October 19th at St. Paul Catholic Church with Monsignor Peter Oberto officiating. Burial wilI be in the Negaunee Cemetery. The family will greet relatives and friends from 2:00 pm until the time of Mass at 4:00 pm at the church on Wednesday, and also at dinner reception in the St. Paul Gymnasium following services. Pallbearers will be grandsons: Mark and Zak Kantola and Chad DelAngelo, great-grandsons: Trenton and Caleb Salo, and nephew, Jeff Gardyko. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorials be directed to the Eastwood Nursing Center Activities Department in Lorraine’s honor and memory.
Mrs. Kantola’s memorial page may be viewed at koskeyfuneralhome.com, where memories and condolences may be shared.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of LORRAINE MARY KANTOLA (DelBello), please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.