Lorraine Joyce Ponge

Lori Ponge, age 70, passed away from metastatic breast cancer on March 20th, 2025, after a 10-year struggle. She passed in her home, which she called “her sanctuary”, surrounded by her beloved wife Marcee, family, and friends. Lori was born in Queens, New York in 1954, raised on Long Island. Lori showed her independent grit young--becoming an emancipated minor at age 16. To support herself, she worked on an array of jobs to pay rent and further her education. Lori attended SUNY in Fredonia, met her husband, Chris Vine, lived in Ithaca, NY, and worked as a nurse’s aide.

One of her early influential experiences was moving to Cambridge, MA where she worked for the Cambridge Women’s Health Collective (CWHC), one of the first centers to focus primarily on women’s sexual health. This group also produced the groundbreaking book, “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” during Lori’s time there. (check this). While in Massachusetts, Lori received her BS in nursing at the University of Massachusetts-Boston while also becoming a massage practitioner. As an ardent advocate and supporter for women’s rights and women’s health issues--especially for working class, women of color, and LBGTQ+ community--she helped organize demonstrations and support groups to bring attention to women’s marginalized health issues. Lori and Chris divorced but remained friends.

Lori made her way to New Mexico, where she furthered her studies, earning an MS degree in nursing at The University of New Mexico. After graduation, Lori’s unique ability to listen, empathize, strategize, and organize made her an excellent fit for her position as a Nurse Practice Coordinator at UNM Behavioral Health, and later as the Executive Director of Children’s Psychiatric Center (CPC) at UNM Health Service. The work and staff at CPC were very important to Lori—many of colleagues/friends were with her on her final day.

In coming to New Mexico, Lori also pursued her childhood love of horses. Early on, she took up riding lessons at Twin Pines Equestrian Center, where she met the love of her life, Marcee. They were together for 31 years.

Together, Lori and Marcee built a remarkable life on a farm in the South Valley, where they cared for horses, dogs, cats, chickens, and birds to name a few. Though Lori’s position as Executive Director at UNM Psychiatric Health was extremely demanding, she loved riding and working with her beloved horses: Oscar, Ben, Patrick and Luke (each horse taller than the last). Lori also loved to garden, knit, and sew. She was a voracious reader (as a young girl, she read every single volume in her childhood library). True to her Italian blood, she was also an excellent cook. Her sourdough bread and pancakes would make your mouth water at the thought. Her love of reading, puzzles, and current events occupied her to her through her final days.

To know Lori is to know her rebellious, independent, compassionate, funny, intelligent, cool nature. Her wisdom, and who she was, helped so many. No doubt the letters friends will add to this post will reveal just how much Lori impacted those around her.

In Marcee and Lori’s house, there is a sign by the door that reads:

“Live with intention. Walk the Edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn, appreciate your friends, do what you love. Live as if there is all there is.”

Lori's life, actions, and relationships embodied those words. It is impossible to describe the hole she leaves in the hearts of those who loved her, especially her wife Marcee who lovingly cared for her in the best possible way. We will miss her wisdom, chuckle, kindness, and sparkle.

She is survived by her wife, Marcee , her sister Helen, her family-in-law, the McGuckin Clan, her nieces and nephews, her dog Mollie, and her horse Luke.