Lorraine Fagan

Lorraine “Lori” Nicole Fagan October 2, 1971 – August 22, 2022 Lorraine “Lori” Nicole Fagan was born at Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA, on October 2, 1971. She grew up in Vienna, VA, but moved to Florida early in her adult life to be closer to the beach, which she loved. She moved back home to Vienna in 2007 after being diagnosed with lymphoma. She was a 15-year cancer survivor until a recent, short battle with lung cancer. Lori passed away on August 22, 2022, surrounded by her loving mother and sisters at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, VA. Lori was predeceased by her father, James Vincent Chirichella, and her grandparents. She is survived by her mother Marian, sisters Christine and Denise, six nieces and nephews, and one great-niece. The youngest of three girls, Lori was truly the baby of the family and often got away with things her older siblings hadn’t, making her the target of her siblings’ childish pranks. Growing up, the three girls were often asked if they were triplets or mistaken for each another, as they looked a lot alike. Despite any childhood sibling rivalry, they all remained very close and considered each other among their best friends. Lori had the kindest heart and was the keeper of everyone’s secrets. The entire family shared all of their stories (good or bad) and confided in her. She talked with her mom and most family members daily. In keeping with the family nature, Lori was also the most stubborn and headstrong person, remaining in charge of her own decisions at all times. Despite her own lifelong health challenges, she rarely complained, always persevered, and made the best of her situation. She listened to everyone’s problems, big or small, offering advice, comfort, and support. Lori was the rare combination of book smart and street smart, with a sarcastic and witty sense of humor. She started her career in the retail and wine industries before taking up closed captioning for the hearing impaired. She had a real knack for it and was a sought-after freelancer for many years due to her speed, accuracy, and strong work ethic. She captioned for international clients on many popular TV shows and movies, even getting the chance to “live” caption some music awards programs. A real animal lover, Lori was a champion to the stray cats that always seemed to find her. Over the years, she was a cat mom to Trixie, Billy, Sebastian, Levi, and Precious. She also loved neighbor cat Max and her niece’s cat Jaime. But because she loved all animals, she hated when the cats brought her “gifts” of other animals or bugs, and did her best to try to save them from her kitties’ mischief. Everyone loved Lori, as evidenced by the VCU staff bending the rules and allowing her beloved cat Precious to visit before her death. For this and the facility’s excellent care and overwhelming compassion, the family is grateful. The family will hold a private mass and burial at Lori’s request. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation in Lori’s memory to VCU (support.vcu.edu/give/medicine or support.vcu.edu/give/vcuhealth), or to a cancer or animal/cat charity of your choice.