Former Fall River/Newport/Lowell teacher, Magoni’s hostess, talk show co-host, passes away

A local woman who had an impact on the community for decades in multiple capacities has died.

Lorraine Y. (Née Desrosiers) Théroux, a longtime resident of Fall River, MA and Portsmouth, RI, passed away on Wednesday at Catholic Memorial Home of Fall River.

According to an obituary, Lorraine began her dedicated path of service at the age of fifteen when she joined the Grey Nuns (Les Soeurs de la Charité de Québec) in Québec. She faithfully served the order as a teacher, working in Canada and at their mission in Lowell, Massachusetts.

After leaving the convent, she returned to her family in Fall River, where she embarked on a long and fulfilling career in education. It was while teaching third grade at Ste. Anne School in Fall River that she met Bernard, and the couple married on July 4, 1956, at the same church, sharing a devoted partnership that lasted over 62 years until Bernard’s passing.

In 1966, Lorraine resumed her teaching career at Ste. Anne’s, where she remained for the next seventeen years. She later taught at Jesus Savior in Newport, Rhode Island, before joining the faculty at St. Jean Baptiste in Fall River. Over her impressive thirty-seven-year tenure, she instructed students in kindergarten, first grade, and third grade, leaving a lasting impact on countless young lives through her passion for education.

Beyond the classroom, Lorraine was a steadfast supporter of Bernard’s various endeavors. She assisted him in hosting the French Musical Hour radio program, which aired Sunday afternoons for over 45 years, and co-hosted a French talk show on WGBH TV in Boston. Always adventurous, she enthusiastically prepared meals for groups of French sailors docking in Newport or New Bedford, embracing every opportunity with love and enthusiasm.

In her “retirement,” she worked at Magoni’s Restaurant as a “hostess” into her eighties.

Services were not announced.