Deanna M Raymond

WORCESTER/JEFFERSON - Deanna M. (Carlson, Orton) Raymond passed away peacefully at Holy Trinity Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Worcester, with her daughter by her side, as the Sun was waning on Friday, November 1, 2024. She was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on December 8, 1938, the eldest daughter of Runo E. and V. Ann (Brunelle) Carlson.

Deanna grew up in Worcester and Leicester, MA, where she attended high school, and met and married her former husband, the late Leroy C. Orton in 1956. Her family and her faith were most important to her. Later in life, she married the late Roland P. Raymond and resided in Holden where she loved to extend her home and pool to her children, grandchildren, and sister's family during summer cookouts and holiday celebrations. She had a big heart and shared with others whatever she had. She was loved by many and was a very special aunt to her sister's five children. She was especially kind and compassionate to the needy and those who struggled in life and was a devoted mother to her developmentally disabled son and stepson, as she cared for them well into their adult years.

Besides raising a family of four, Deanna was a beloved Catechism teacher for several years for the second grade Communion Class at St. Joan of Arc Church in Worcester. She worked as a mother's helper for a family of two young children, as a cashier at the Worcester Center Parking Garage, and as a housekeeper at the Days Inn Lodge. In her later years, Deanna particularly enjoyed being a van driver with McCarthy & Sons for the Early Childhood Program for the Wachusett District. The last seven years of her life Deanna greatly enjoyed residing at Christopher Heights Assisted Living in Worcester where she leaves many dear friends.

Deanna leaves behind her daughter, Laurie and husband Roy Lane of Sterling, her sons James Orton of Worcester, Richard Orton and his partner Karen Perry of Warwick, RI, and her stepson Scott Raymond of West Boylston. She will also be missed by her sister, Jacqueline and her husband Joseph Boucher of Worcester. She was predeceased by her daughter Cynthia Cassano and her brother Randall.
Deanna left six beloved grandchildren: Joshua and Alix Orton, Emmaline Winn, Lee Dickman, and Jeremy and Cassie Lane, as well as seven great-grandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to honor and remember Deanna's life by gathering for a time of visitation on Tuesday, Nov. 12th from 5 to 7 pm at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, at 11 am in St. Mary's Church, 114 Princeton Street, Jefferson. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation in Deanna's name to either The Mustard Seed, PO Box 2592, Worcester MA 01613 ( https://www.mustardseedcw.org ), or the Central Mass Housing Alliance (CMHA), 6 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 ( https://www.cmhaonline.org ).