About Lorraine Bethea

Lorraine Bethea was a leader in compassionate hospice care in the coastal Virginia area. Her initial exposure to hospice care began as a young lady with the care of her own mother who suffered from brain cancer. She left college to care for her until her passing. She knew at that time that hospice was God’s calling on her life.   

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She returned to school and completed her degree in nursing.  She brought to hospice that same driven spirit and strength that she was known for in her personal life.  She believed in educating her patients, giving them options and always providing informed consent.  She loved her patients and her patients loved her.  

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Lorraine — a wife, a mother, grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a health and fitness instructor, a mentor and a dedicated hospice nurse — passed away in January of 2015, on hospice and in the care of the loved ones she had trained! 

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Lorraine taught them to not only monitor her respiratory status, to provide effective pain relief, and to provide nutritional support, but to also continuously verbalize healing through prayer and meditation on the scriptures, to keep open communication between family members, to support each other, to have meaningful conversations about memories and future aspirations.

Lorraine’s story is shared to inspire hope. The family desires that her legacy of positive living will help others in their journey.