Cape Cod Chronicle highlights Class of 1944 alum
Article focuses on Loraine Whiteford Parker’s Reunion visit and her life journey
Loraine Whiteford Parker, Wheaton College Class of 1944, returned to campus for her 80th Reunion and was one of the stars of the day. The Cape Cod Chronicle took note of her visit and featured her in a news article.
In “Senior Page: Brewster’s Loraine Parker Honored By Wheaton College At 80th Reunion,” writer Elizabeth Van Wye mentions how honored the 101-year-old Brewster, Mass., resident felt while waiting for the Commencement procession to start and throughout the event.
Van Wye wrote: “‘I only wanted to go to the parade,’ she said, and Wheaton obliged, fixing her up with her own golf cart labeled ‘Class of 1944’ to navigate the parade route. She found herself the object of much attention and had a chance to talk to many of the graduates. ‘They all wanted to talk to me!’ she marveled.”
The writer shared that Parker, who majored in chemistry, initially worked as a chemist at the E.R. Squibb pharmaceutical company, where she experimented with inventing products, and later as the only woman chemist for the E.F. Drew Chemical Company.
Parker, the mother of four, recounts enjoying road trips to 49 states and traveling all over the world with her husband, Charles, during their more than 75 years together before his death.
“Parker is an avid reader,” Van Wye wrote, “especially of mysteries, and regularly visits the library to take out four books at a time. While she no longer bikes outdoors, she has a stationary bike in her apartment. She loves visiting with friends and family and has a sharp memory and quick recall. She has a collection of albums from their many trips and she enjoys rereading her husband’s many journals. ‘We had a big life!’ she says with a smile.”