Obituary: Lorraine (Mohrman) Hepler
Long‑Serving Educator and Community Champion Lorraine Hepler Dies at 87
Gorham, Maine – Lorraine (Mohrman) Hepler, a beloved teacher, coach, fundraiser, and lifelong traveler, died peacefully at her home on September 29, 2026. She was 87.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Lorraine was the first in her family to attend college. After graduating from Jennings High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State Teachers College. She went on to obtain a master’s degree from Columbia University and later pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa.
Lorraine’s teaching career began at Ferguson High School, where she worked during the final year of segregation and the first year of desegregation. She later taught physical education at the University of Maine at Orono. It was there that she met horticulture professor Paul Hepler, who won her heart with the produce from his garden. The couple married on September 7, 1959, and together raised four children.
After leaving the university, Lorraine devoted herself to her family while also returning to the high‑school classroom and coaching. She later built a successful career in school fundraising, helping to secure resources for educational programs. An avid traveler, she explored the world well into her 80s, welcoming international students and friends into her home in Gorham, where they became an extended family.
Friends and family remember Lorraine as “feisty, witty, and deeply warm,” noting her gift for making connections and her generous spirit. She was an advocate for international understanding and consistently supported causes that reflected her concern for people worldwide.
Lorraine was predeceased by her husband, Paul; her brothers, William and Roland Mohrman; her Danish international‑student son Bent Fuglsbjerg; and her beloved border collies, Bacchus and BJ. She is survived by five children—Sharon Hepler, MD, of Plymouth, Minn.; Raymond Hepler and wife Karin of Healdsburg, Calif.; Allen Hepler and wife Kathrine of Stetson; Bruce Hepler of Gorham; and Chilean international‑student son Luis Morales Delannoi of Santiago, Chile—as well as numerous grandchildren and great‑grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held on November 7 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the White Rock Grange, 33 Wilson Road, Gorham. In lieu of flowers, attendees are encouraged to consider donating in Lorraine’s name to International House (www.ihouse-nyc.org), the Reed Allen Community Fund (ReedAllen.org), or another cause that reflects her lifelong commitment to giving back.
Lorraine’s legacy of education, philanthropy, and cross‑cultural friendship will remain an inspiration to those who knew her.
