My friend Lorine

Lorine Parks (left) hosting book launch for Rosalie Sciortino at Stay Gallery on Jan. 15, 2015. Photo by Carol Kearns

When I think of how to describe Lorine Parks, the phrase that comes to mind is “renaissance woman.” She was a cultural force in Downey, a writer, a scholar, a businesswoman, a feminist, a world traveler, a community volunteer—and a jock!

Of all her many accomplishments, it was the physical exploits of her younger years that captivated me the most. This stately, formal, elderly poet rowed crew at Wellesley College! She was one of the “girls in the boat.”

In younger years Lorine had also regularly hiked the Sierras, climbed Mt. Whitney and Half Dome, skied the slopes of Mammoth, and scuba dived in the Pacific. Most people might never learn these things about her because Lorine was not one to brag about herself.

Even at age 92, Lorine Parks lived in the moment, always looking to what new things she could do while accepting the limitations that age put upon her. She was a tall woman, close to six feet, and former DUSD School Board member Martha Sodetani recalls Lorine’s “regal” posture even as age forced her to use a cane.

I never recall hearing Lorine refer to the “good ol’ days” or say, “I remember when…” She had too much to do and used her free time to stay current on things like new developments in science. You would only get glimpses of her personal story by talking to her over time.

Lorine Parks was born February 17, 1931 in Pittsburg. The short bio in her books of poetry references February ice storms, and I can’t help but notice that it seems appropriate that an east coast storm is now marking her passing. Lorine was a force of nature herself.

Lorine loved all things French (she had been to Paris over twenty times) and told me that in high school she studied the language assiduously.

It was fate that her father was transferred to New York in 1948. World War II was still fresh in everyone’s mind and the UN was a young organization. Lorine told me “it was life-changing to be just seventeen and so close to the center of world history.” She fantasized about becoming a translator at the UN, but decided to focus on English literature and poetry in college.

Lorine’s goal after high school was to attend the women’s college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Wellesley was founded in 1870 with the vision that “college should prepare women for ‘...great conflicts, for vast reforms in social life.’” Wellesley students thought big and knew what they wanted. Lorine was the perfect candidate, and made the most of her opportunity.

Lorine was proud of her Wellesley ties and remained lifelong friends with classmates, even as many moved on to different parts of the country. Her memoir of rowing crew at college is a treasure, and I shall be rereading it. I am sad that she won’t get to see the new film “The Boys in the Boat.”

Rotary members Greg Welch (right) and Lorine Parks present donation for Downey Symphony to Lars Clutterham (left) on Jan. 9, 2018. Photo by Carol Kearns

Lorine had a passion for poetry since childhood. She once told me that she used her time on the train while commuting to post-graduate studies at Columbia to write an epic poem about Stonewall Jackson! This reflection of her inner drive as a young woman left me speechless.

After completing her Master’s at Columbia, Lorine married and worked for a while at Pan Am Airlines. It was marriage and working for the airlines that ultimately led to the rich tapestry of her life experiences.

The Parks family of four arrived in Downey in 1969 when her husband joined Gallatin Medical Clinic. As the family put down roots, Lorine decided to build on her earlier experience working for PanAm and start her own travel agency. She prepared by going on study tours offered by the airlines and tourist ministries.

She had the rare opportunity in 1974 to spend two weeks behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union. She says she filled thirty single-spaced journal pages and the trip left a deep impression.

Altogether she counted that she had visited over 99 countries. “For at least thirty years,” she told me, “I had a privileged look into the complex world scene.” Recent headlines from places like Cairo and Jerusalem would bring up memories.

In 1975 Lorine opened Stonewood Travel, at Stonewood Mall. This was the go-to place for many Downey families until it, like most other travel agencies, fell victim to the internet thirty years later. Lorine formally retired in 2010 but remained active with old and new projects.

Lorine forged ahead as a working single mother when the couple divorced in 1976. She continued writing poetry, and as her children grew she expanded her role in the community through active participation in various service groups.

Lorine and three other women made history thirty-five years ago when they joined the Downey Rotary Club on November 1, 1988. The Supreme Court had ruled the year before that Rotary in the United States could not exclude women from membership on the basis of gender.

Fellow Rotarian Greg Welch explained that Downey Rotary hadn’t wanted to admit just one woman at the time of the ruling because they were afraid one woman would feel isolated. So the club waited until the next year when four women were able to join at the same time.

Lorine was very proud of her membership and near perfect attendance. There are Rotary Clubs around the world, and when Lorine traveled, she attended a meeting of whatever club was in the area.

Lawyer and fellow Rotarian Joanna Fernandez says, “I really adored her. I was inspired by her.” Fernandez recounts that Lorine encouraged all of the Rotary women to substitute the word “sisterhood” for “brotherhood” when singing the club spirit song at weekly meetings. Lorine used every opportunity to advocate for women’s rights and recognition. “It’s a tradition that we’re going to keep on,” says Fernandez.

Lorine’s commitment to community service is exemplified by a literacy project she helped establish at the Downey Rotary Club.

Years ago Lorine persuaded the group to donate one new children’s book each week to the Downey City Library. She would present the book she had selected at each meeting, then would have it signed by that week’s guest speaker before giving it to the Downey City Library.

Welch says this children’s book tradition is continuing. “Lorine always encouraged others in Rotary to be involved in the group’s projects,” he affirms, “and to do more to help the city and to help others.”

It was consistent with her values that Lorine was also a member of the Downey Soroptimists Club. Soroptimists International is an advocacy group speaking for human rights and gender equality.

City Councilwoman Dorothy Pemberton recounts that Lorine was always involved with the Soroptimist scholarship committee, and especially the Woman’s Opportunity Award, which is for single head-of-household women reentering college to advance their place in the workforce.

Pemberton recalls one particular project that both she and Lorine enjoyed working with. It was a nonprofit group that funded goats for women in rural Nepal so they could start a business and sustain themselves.

Music was Lorine’s other great passion after poetry and she was devoted to the Downey Symphony Orchestra. She was a board member for several decades, up until her death, and served several terms as president. She wrote descriptive pieces for the Downey Patriot about upcoming symphony concerts, and follow-up reviews after each performance.

Pat Gil of the Downey Arts Coalition, which presents unique art exhibits for each concert, said she was always amazed by Lorine’s ability for recounting detail.

“Her notes about a performance were so detailed, you would feel like you were right there,” recalls Gil. “You could see how much she loved the orchestra.”

Music Director Sharon Lavery says the orchestra will be honoring Lorine in a special way during the upcoming April 6 concert. Hearing that Lorine’s favorite piece of music was Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Lavery says that after opening the concert with Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture” as planned, the orchestra will perform a shortened version of the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth that is usually performed at the fifth grade children’s concert as part of the orchestra’s Music in the Schools program.

How We Met

Frank and I knew nothing about Lorine’s extensive service club activities when we first met her nearly twenty years ago.

We had responded to a small notice in the Downey Patriot that Writers Workshop West held monthly meetings at a travel agency in the evenings. Frank wanted to connect with others who wrote poetry and I thought I might take up writing stories.

Writers Workshop West has a storied history in Downey from the 1970s and 1980s. People told me that it was not unusual to have thirty to forty people in attendance, and discussions were “vigorous.”

When Frank and I showed up around 2008, we saw only ten or twelve people in attendance, but we could see they were committed. This was a critique group where people shared their writing and received feedback.

What a surprise when we walked in and I recognized the woman who had helped me arrange our first ever trip to Hawaii several years before! Lorine had moved her business to a new location.

Frank quickly recognized Lorine’s talent and soon joined her in other small poetry workshops. Sometimes we rode with her to poetry readings in other parts of the LA Basin. I think we were both surprised to learn how many people expressed themselves through poetry, even though this genre is not a big seller in book stores. Lorine opened a whole new world for both of us.

As a student, I had never connected with the poetry that was presented in high school, but I quickly came to understand and value Lorine’s work. She was a prolific writer and any subject stirred her imagination. She wrote about baseball, western movies, Grandma’s recipes, and weather events, as well as classic gods and goddesses from ancient history.

Some poems could evoke the most searing heartbreak, and others would be snarky and sizzling. I asked Frank to save any copies of her poems when they held workshops at our house.

And one unexpected gift from all this literary activity—Frank wrote poems about me! About us! Never would I have imagined such gifts from my husband! Who needs Valentines Day? Thank you, Lorine, a thousand times over.

It was also during this time that I joined the board of the Downey Symphonic Society at Lorine’s encouragement. I served for seven years and did two terms as Vice President. It was just as Greg Welch had described—Lorine had a way of getting people involved.

Lorine Parks at a Downey Symphony concert with artist Lyndsey Parks (no relation) on April 6, 2019. Photo by Carol Kearns

Poetry Matters

Years ago the Downey Patriot accepted Lorine’s pitch for a weekly poetry column, Poetry Matters. She carefully curated each submission, spotlighting special days and special times of the year. She included a brief introduction for unfamiliar readers and her selections reflected diversity and inclusivity, featuring young, contemporary poets as well as well-known giants.

Around 2010-11 some young Downey folks organized the Downey Arts Coalition. This was about the same time another group of young people opened Stay Gallery. Lorine joined the Downey Arts Coalition, representing the symphony.

Lorine approached Stay Gallery to see if they would be open to holding monthly poetry readings, also to be called Poetry Matters.

Everyone was agreeable, and for about five years, under Lorine’s leadership, DAC hosted Poetry Matters which was held at Stay Gallery. Every month Frank helped her set up and tear down the furniture and snack counter. Visitors often commented on the beautiful venue.

Lorine brought well-known poets to Downey from all over southern California, including former City of Los Angeles Poet Laureate Lynne Thompson. Others have included Tamara Madison, Nancy Woo, Judith Pacht, and Beth Ruscio. The usual format started with an open mic for a half-hour before readings by the featured poet.

Gabriel Enamorado, one of Stay Gallery’s founders and current Executive Director, recalls Lorine as “a significant contributor to the Downey arts community and a passionate advocate for so many organizations and programs.

There was a sixty-year age difference between Lorine and Enamorado, but they were on the same page when it came to supporting the arts. “Her presence in Downey will be deeply missed, though her spirit and contributions will live on.”

When scheduling didn’t work out with Stay Gallery, the evening event was held a few times at Downey’s gritty, iconic Epic Lounge. I always smile at the memory of Martha Sodetani at the Epic Lounge with her high-schooler Gordon. I also remember one reading at the Rives Mansion. Lorine was well into her 80s by then and none of these changes in plans seemed to phase her.

“It was a joy having her there,” said Epic Lounge owner David Devis. “The last I saw her was with at Glennfest [Downey film festival]. She will be missed.”

Throughout this period of her life, Lorine continued to age gracefully, attending other events put on by DAC and supporting young artists in a variety of genres.

She was especially supportive of The Green Salon hosted in the backyard of Downey artist and poet Roy Anthony Shabla.

“She loved the arts in every which way,” recounts Pat Gil, “and you could see it in the way she dressed. She expressed her love of art through her clothes and her jewelry. I’m the same way.”

Gil laughed at her recollection of how she and Lorine would always compliment each other on particular items of apparel.

Catalina Eddy

A personal highlight for Lorine during this period of her life was the first formal publication of a book of her poetry, “Catalina Eddy.” The Catalina eddy is a regular weather phenomenon off our coast and Chanel 4 Weatherman Fritz Coleman wrote a blurb for the cover.

Lorine’s artistry was to imagine Eddy as sort of noir-type persona, with other family members and associates that included Mae Gray and June Gloom. Then Lorine went further, writing about hurricanes like Ernesto in 2006.

Parks created a persona for Ernesto, the costliest hurricane in 2006, although only a weak tropical storm, that is downright frisky. Lorine writes: Ernesto is “the one who got away but whose foreplay no one can forget.” You get the idea.

California poet David St. John wrote the forward for Catalina Eddy, describing the Family as “meteorological guys and dolls, molls and mobsters.”

For Lorine’s book launch in 2016, we held a dinner party at Granata’s (where Joseph’s is now) which was attended by her son and daughter and friends from the community.

Frank, through Los Nietos Press, published a second book for her, “Persons of Interest,” which appears on Amazon. In a few weeks Frank will be finalizing a second edition of “Catalina Eddy,” also under Los Nietos Press, so it will also be available on Amazon.

As her physical strength declined, Lorine used her writing skills more and more to aid the community groups she was involved with: Downey Rotary Club, Downey Soroptimists, Friends of the Downey City Library, Downey Symphonic Society, and Downey Arts Coalition.

A few years ago Lorine decided she would become the “society columnist” for the Downey Patriot. She started submitting features about the programs and attendees at major social events—a la the New York Society page.

She had fun with this and always included as many names as she could, sometimes describing the clothes people wore as well as the entertainment. Even in her 90s she was a quick and clever writer with an excellent memory for what was said. She told me her memory was her “super power.”

Lorine hoped these fun accounts would help the many community service clubs attract greater attendance at future fundraisers, such as the symphony’s annual Garden Party.

Lorine’s impact on Downey was broad and deep, especially in the cultural arena. Former mayor Claudia Frometa wrote in an email that,

“Downey has lost a great gem in Lorine. Her storytelling skills, evident through her many contributions over the years to the local newspaper, will be greatly missed, along with her delightful presence. She loved Downey and through her involvement with Rotary, Downey Coordinating Council, Soroptomist and other groups, Lorine served this community. My heartfelt condolences and prayers to her family.”

Lorine Parks was a role model for how to live life with gusto and seize the moments of each day.

Au revoir, Lorine. Je suis désolé.