‘She was the rock in our house’: Middleboro remembers accident victim
Nov 20, 2022
Bethany, left, and Paul Medeiros, the daughter and husband of Lori Medeiros, stand together while Bethany reads a poem about her mother. Photos by Rusty Gorelick
Melissa Botelho sings during the vigil remembering Lori Medeiros.
Bracelets made in memory of Lori Medeiros.
MIDDLEBORO — Lori Medeiros loved coffee and doughnuts, dancing, and her family and friends.
Her husband, Paul Medeiros, shared those memories when he spoke at a vigil held in Lori’s honor at the Middleboro Town Hall on Nov. 20. Around 130 people attended the outdoor vigil in near-freezing temperatures to commemorate her life.
Medeiros, a Middleboro resident, was killed in a car crash in Taunton on Nov. 7. The other driver involved was charged with manslaughter, reckless motor vehicle homicide, and negligent motor vehicle homicide for his role in Medeiros’s death.
Lori’s nephew performed “Lady May” by country music artist Tyler Childers. Melissa Botelho performed “Dancing in the Sky” to open the vigil and “There You’ll Be” to close the proceedings.
Ed Morgan, a friend of the Medeiros family who organized the vigil, recalled answering Paul’s phone call on Nov. 7 and hearing him explain what happened to Lori.
Morgan thought, “I just need to wake up from this nightmare.”
Medeiros’s daughter, Bethany, read a poem she wrote about her mom, the memories they share, and the plans they made that never came to fruition.
“The only emotion that made sense was numb,” Bethany said.
Morgan and his wife, Lisa, reminisced about their dinner and drinks nights with the Medeiros family. Lisa Morgan also read a poem to honor Lori.
Lori’s husband, Paul, spoke of Lori’s dedication to their family. He said she became the family’s primary breadwinner after succeeding when she changed jobs to become a mortgage loan officer.
“She was the rock in our house,” he said. “She switched careers not because she wanted to, but because she knew it would help her family.”
To close his remarks, Paul said he figured out why so many people enjoyed Lori’s company.
“She was real,” Paul said. “They saw the real Lori and that’s what everyone loved.”
At the end of the vigil, Morgan said that Lori would not be happy with the solemn tone of the ceremony. So, to brighten the mood and get people to dance as Lori loved to do, he played ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” over the speakers in her memory.
Morgan set up a Venmo account that is taking donations in Lori’s honor. He and Paul will decide which of Lori’s favorite charities to donate the proceeds to.
Contributions can be made through Venmo to @lorimedeirosfund, or by mail to Rockland Trust Bank c/o Lori Medeiros Memorial Fund, 30 South Main St., Middleboro, MA 02346.
