November 6, 1933 to December 19, 2018
On December 19, 2018 Lorna Carolyn (Slater) Wilkins, beloved wife of Wayman Wilkins, passed away suddenly. She was the loving mother of Carol, Noel, Matthew, Mark, Seth, and Lisa. Lorna was the adoring grandmother of Clare, Danielle, Rachael, Ashlee, Heather, Gregory, Nico, Galen, and Alex, with whom she shared some memorable family vacations and gladly celebrated weddings, graduations, and performances. In recent weeks she was delighted to meet her newest great-grandchildren, Cecelia (in Texas) and Theodore (in DC), and she enjoyed photos of Mateo and Julian (from California).
Lorna was the daughter of Clarence and Dorothy Slater, and she spent most of her growing up years in College Park, MD with her brothers Sheldon and Bradley, and her sister Judy. She attended the University of Maryland, where she met Wayman Parker Wilkins, Jr. at the freshman mixer in 1952. He became her lifelong love and dearest friend. Lorna and Wayman married in 1955 and began a family. Lorna had to take a break from college when Carol and Noel arrived. Over the next few years she drove to pick up children for Nana’s Mother Goose Nursery School, and the family grew to include Matthew, Mark, Seth, and Lisa. Lorna raised six children with nearly boundless patience, loving attention, and a strong sense of values. She welcomed the countless friends who grew up around the Wilkins kids, as well as puppies, kittens, injured birds and an assortment of baby animals into a bustling and joyful home. In 1988, soon after the youngest kids finished high school, at 55 Lorna returned to the University of Maryland to complete her BS, continuing to study horticulture and work as a botany teaching assistant as she earned her master’s degree. Over the years, the family has continued to grow, with spouses and partners, including Beth, Bill, Richard, Glen, Shelli, Mary, Ana, Hannah, Lindsay, Taylor, and Derek. Lorna embraced everyone with love, and we all cherish our memories of her.
Lorna was one of the kindest people we have ever known. She and Wayman taught Sunday school with young children at Forcey Bible Church for many decades, where they helped to nurture and support a strong community and its mission. She helped to launch the Forcey Christian School and served as its first treasurer, and she always noticed something special about each child. She was humble and generous. She lived in faithful commitment to her values, and with deep love for her family, even as she stretched to take on new challenges and to understand and appreciate a changing world around her.
Friends and family can call at the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home on Friday January 4, 2019
11800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
Viewing from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm
Funeral Services will be at Forcey Bible Church on Saturday January 5, 2019
2130 East Randolph Road, Silver Spring, MD
Viewing at 10 am
Funeral at 11 am
