July 25th, 2024
A mother of five, Lorna lived a very full life. An amazing cook, a tenacious housekeeper, but mostly a wonderful mom and my dad’s best friend.
Born in Canada, Lorna was the only child of Alma and Lawrence Wishart. She grew up as a singer (she had her own radio program in Montreal) and ultimately became the head nurse at the Royal Victoria Hospital which is where she met Dr. Norman C. Lyster, Jr. during his internship. It was literally “love at first sight”. On their first date, Norman (a.k.a., dad) asked Lorna to write on a matchbook what she thought. She wrote “I’m going to marry Norm Lyster”.
Married in 1959, Dr. Lyster joined the U.S. Navy and they move to Pensacola where their first child was born. The Navy took them to Newfoundland, Canada, Philadelphia, PA, Guantanamo, Cuba, and Portsmouth, VA. Two sons, and three daughters later, they left the Navy and settled in Norwich, New York. For the record, dad only wanted four kids, but Lorna was having none of it.
Lorna and dad ultimately move to the country and began a quasi-farm life experience. It was there that mom honed her cooking and baking skills. We never bought vegetables; we grew everything. Lorna’s go-to dessert was her made from scratch apple pie. She could put an apple pie in front of dad and ask for anything and he would oblige. As a family, our vacations were all about camping, hiking, biking, sailing, kayaking, white-water rafting; you name it. Everything was done outdoors.
Mom was in charge. We would be outside “somewhere” on the farm, and when it was time for supper, she’d walk out the back door and shake a cowbell four to five times, and yell “SUPPER”! We always came running. One of the family’s funniest memories is when dad bought her a mattock (i.e., a small pickaxe) for Mother’s Day to use while the family planted 3,000 saplings on our farm as part of New York State’s reforestation project. Dad did write a nice love note on its handle. She chuckled and started swinging and planting.
Upon Dad’s retirement, Lorna and Norm traveled the world visiting France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Mexico, Hawaii, and Fiji, in addition to numerous trips to Lorna’s stomping grounds of Montreal and New Brunswick, Canada. Lorna was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church where she led the woman’s group for many years.
Lorna is predeceased by her father and mother, Lawrence and Alma Wishart, and her husband, Dr. Norman C. Lyster, Jr. She is survived by her five children and their families: Norman Lyster (Karen) of Virginia Beach, VA, Chris Lyster of Grandy, NC, Keely Devlin of Idaho Springs, CO, Lori Petri (Eddie) of Bellingham, WA, and Charlotte Kuhl (Scott) of Loveland, CO; her four grandchildren: Keely Kuhl, James Devlin, Emily Lyster, Stuart Lyster-Keef, and Marley Lyster; and her great-grandchild: Caoimhe Devlin.
Her Celebration of Life will be a private family event to be held in upstate New York near her and her husband’s favorite campgrounds.