The family and friends of Loris __ recently gathered to celebrate her life and legacy. She touched many people in a truly positive way and so many are better off from having the extreme pleasure of knowing Loris.
A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Loris was born on August 6, 1934 to Luke and Rosella Tunstall. She was the second child of 15 children. An incredibly talented youngster, she loved to sing, dance, write poems, act and aspired to be an actress.
Loris was also a very good student and excelled in her studies while attending Doyle Avenue Elementary School, Nathan Bishop Middle School, and Hope High School. In addition, she adored her siblings and liked growing up in a big family, even though she often had to take care of her little brothers and sisters.
Recalling those times, Loris wrote, “My mother needed help watching over my younger siblings. She instilled in the older ones to always look out for them and that’s what did. We had wonderful times growing up and although we all grew up and had our separate lives, we still spent time together and made memories. And even though we were distant, we still had a bond that connected us and no matter what, we had each other’s backs.”
At the age of 18, she married Maurice Greene, a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. The couple relocated to Los Angeles and soon Loris became the mother of her own little ones. She also landed a role in the movie, “A Raisin in the Sun,” but with her family increasingly growing, her acting career ended.
Her marriage also ended and Loris said, “I found myself a single mother, living with my cousin Ruth, working in a department store, and taking care of my then-three children until one my best friends, Helen Alexander, introduced me to her cousin, Bernard Lovett, a Sergeant in the Army.”
Love blossomed between Loris and “Bernie,” which led to their marriage. Their union produced three more children and the family moved to their first house together on 35th Place. In 1967, the family bought a home on 5th Avenue, which became a haven of hospitality for everyone she knew.
As Loris remembered, “We were grateful to be able to open our home to help others and we did just that, up until today. The life Bernie and I built together was not perfect, but it was relatively, good and we loved each other. He was not only my husband, but also became my spiritual brother and we were married for 46 years until he proceeded me in death on December 26, 2011.”
Loris enjoyed traveling and visited locations throughout the United States. She toured Oklahoma, Tulsa, Detroit, Denver, Louisiana, the Grand Canyon, New York, Florida and Georgia. Also, she visited Mexico and Hawaii and went on many cruises. But, most life-changing for Loris was when she met Jehovah.
“I dedicated my life to Jehovah to do His Will on June 28, 1979 and became a member of the Van Ness Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” she said. “It was one of the best decisions of my life!”
Cherishing the memory of her life are her children, Laurie, Karen, Benetta, Darryl, Michelle, and Kerry; grandchildren, Lance, Samika, Tiron, Tira, Sean, Stephenie, Stacie H. and Jermaine, Darrell, Brandi and Shannon, LaNee, Brittney, K.T. Markie, Jordyn, Ryann and Darryl, Kerry Jr., Kristian; and great- grandchildren – Kamea, Corey, Endure, Noah, Andreas, Ta’Kai, Justin, Bryana, Se’Koi, Isaiah, Hayden, Kai, Kamille, Harper, Sha’doe, Marlie, Royal and Mahani; and many other relatives and friends.