"I felt that was enough. I didn't think I would need another one this year," she said.
During their early lives in Whanganui Lorraine and Alan would have walked, biked or taken a tram when they wanted to go somewhere. By the time they were 50 and living in Wellington they were travelling the world in planes to go to conferences and staying in beautiful hotels.
They went to South Africa often, to visit daughter Elizabeth, and to Australia to visit son Robert.
Newspapers are in both their families. Lorraine's father, Lionel Young, managed the Wanganui Chronicle. He was a hands-on boss who could work the linotype machines.
Lorraine was an only child.
She went to Wanganui Girls' College, was one of the "girls" in the office in the Chronicle's Drews Ave building and lived in the family home in Carlton Ave until she married.
Alan meanwhile went to Rapanui and Wanganui Collegiate Schools. The two met in their late teens, at the dances held above McGruers' drapery.
Alan went to work for Wanganui Hospital Board, and learned accounting. During the war he became an air force navigator. In 1946 the two married, in the Collegiate Chapel.
Alan became the accountant and then the general manager at the Chronicle, and Lorraine continued to do some office work there. In 1964 Alan and was invited to work for the Wellington Publishing Company, the owner of The Dominion newspaper.
The two moved to Wellington, where they found a house with a view of the harbour. Alan was invited to work for Rupert Murdoch in London, and turned that down.
"He had a very good grasp of what a good life meant - a lovely wife, a nice place to live, sporting interests," daughter Liz Parker said.
Alan was forward thinking and kept abreast with overseas trends. He never interfered in editorial decisions or bowed to threats, he knew what readers wanted and he was an old fashioned gentleman.
"He knew the name of everyone on the staff and he always greeted them."
In 1984 he retired, but became the chairman of INL and retained a number of directorships in news and other businesses. In 1991 he was awarded an MBE and in 1992 the two returned to Whanganui.
"We enjoyed our time in Wellington. We had no intention of coming back here until we saw this house advertised for sale," Lorraine said.
As his directorships finished, Alan returned to the outdoor pursuits he enjoyed. He gardened, fished and shot ducks in season. Race horses became his passion, and he formed a partnership with Windsor Park Stud.
Lorraine didn't share his outdoor passions but she would pack him nice lunches and spend her time on the Wanganui Girls' College old girls association, Save the Children and on researching family history.
She doesn't have a cellphone or take an interest in social media and she still writes thank you letters - but also watches a Netflix series on TV.
The two have a good life together, she said, and now have two great grandchildren, Ella and Nicholas.
"We were happy together and we didn't fight or have upsets at all. We had a very good life," Lorraine said.
