Loraine Sumner
Born in 1936, she grew up in Milton, Massachusetts. Her career as a coach and referee began well before the 1972 passage of Title IX and before she graduated from high school and spanned almost 40 years. She played and coached ASA softball and AAU basketball, bowling, Lacrosse, field hockey, taught physical education, and directed several summer camps. She was also a single mother who gave birth to her daughter Debbie in a Florence Crittenton Home in 1958 and determined to raise her on her own and continue her athletic career. In 1960 she played softball with Mary Pratt’s Raiderettes and in 1962 her South Shore Esquirettes beat the Raiderettes in the Metro Boston Tournament. (a feat perhaps only fastball afficionados can appreciate but take our word for it. It’s huge). Sumner also coached the Waltham Drifters in 1975. In all, she officiated for 33 years. In the 1980s she volunteered with Daughters of Bilitis (DOB). She currently travels to teach and participate in Mah Jongg Tournaments and competitive Whist Clubs and takes part in Senior Olympics. In 2019, despite an injury, she “did 11 events to win 8 medals! Gold in softball throw, shot put and basketball three throw. Others were javelin, discus, broad jump, mile walk and 1/2 mile walk. This is such a wonderful program where you see seniors who want to keep young,” she says. Her 8mm and Super 8mm collection includes footage of her teams’ games; family events; and travels with friends and lovers. She edited the footage herself into six categories: Sports, Family, Camps, Schools, Travel, and Debbie. Her edits involved many splices and the compilations fell apart during a drug store transfer. LHMP has digitized both the full reels the drugstore returned to her and attempted to reproduce her original compilations, adding, with her permission, one further category, “Friends & Lovers.”