Lorene Winn Whiting Edmunds, daughter of the late William E. Winn and Gladys G. Winn, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at the age of 97. She was born on May 4, 1926, in Tulsa, OK. She had two brothers, Frank E. Winn, and Basil C. Winn, and three sisters, Virginia W. Deadman, Dorothy W. Padgett, and Mary W. Wilson, all deceased.

Her family includes five grandchildren: Mark M. Sherry, Elizabeth S. Uebelhoer, Amy T. Henkel, Lori T. Omps, and John E. Tomblin. She has twelve great grandchildren. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Judy B Whiting, and step children, Carolyn E. Thomas and Nancy E. Francisco, as well as numerous nieces and nephews in Tulsa, OK.

Lorene was a part of the work force all her life beginning as a Trainee operator for AT&T and a pricing clerk for the Aluminum Company of America in Tulsa.

During WWII, she married Richard B. Whiting of Berryville, VA and moved there. They had three children: Sally W. Tomblin, Beverly W. Sherry, and William H. Whiting, all deceased. She was a wonderful mother and homemaker. When the children were older, she worked as a secretary to the Plant Manager of Doubleday Manufacturing Plant.

In 1968, she moved to Wilmington, Delaware where she was secretary to the Assistant Manager of the Petroleum Chemicals Division of the DuPont Company. She was later promoted as Senior Secretary to the Manager of the Applied Technology Division.

Lorene married Arthur H. Edmunds in 1969. When they retired, they built a home in Harrisonburg, VA to be closer to the children. In 2004, they moved to the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) in Harrisonburg. On April 18, 2018, Arthur passed away at the age of 99. They had enjoyed 48 years of married life.

Lorene was very gifted with handwork, making all sizes of quilts for family members as well as professional quilting for the Quilters of Virginia in Lexington. One of her quilts is in the collection at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester because of her exceptional stitching. She also enjoyed knitting sweaters from baby to adult sizes. As a volunteer for the Rockingham Memorial Hospital, she knitted preemie hats and sewed cloth teddy bears. In later years, she was fond of embroidering pillow cases and table runners as special gifts for family and friends.

The family is grateful for the caring staff of nurses at VMRC and appreciates the kindness shown to Lorene.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 11am with a memorial service to follow at 12pm all held at Omps Funeral Home, South Chapel,1260 Front Royal Pike, Winchester, VA 22602. Interment will be private at a later date at Shenandoah Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Lorene’s name may be made to the American Lung Association via their website at www.lung.org.