Obituary

Lori Elizabeth MacCumber was born March 8, 1957 in Newark, NJ firstborn to Carolyn Lexa MacCumber and Norman MacCumber. At a week old, Lori was accidentally left outside a bakery by her new mother who purchased pastries and walked a few blocks before frantically running back for her baby. It is perhaps here, bundled up in a stroller while passersby came and went, Lori developed her ability to strike up a warm conversation with just about anybody.

Three years later, her sister Beth was born, and after another three her sister Christine. The family moved to Annandale, NJ to a small farmette. Here the three sisters spent their early childhood with goats and ducks with cousins from Hillside visiting often. They explored the field next to the house as if it were a fantastical magic fairyland. Their grandmother somehow purchased a miniature carousel that all her grandchildren could play on. Lori had always described her early childhood as a whimsical place in time; she brought the same comfort and magic to her own children’s lives.

When she was nine, the family moved to Florida where she spent her teenaged years. These years were devoted to walking her vicious and fervent dog Paul, biking along the bay, consuming novels as if they were air, and learning how to horseback ride. She went to Bob Dylan concerts with the same friends who, twenty and thirty years later, would also travel with Lori to places like Greece and Quebec. In her twenties she was offered a job in New York City as a graphic designer for a small company that made and produced vinyl album art. This company was bought and sold over the years, and Lori worked her way to Creative Director of one of the largest global packaging companies. She remained working with some of the same people for the entirety of her career who became dear to her heart.

In 1984 she met Mark and married him in 1989. Her first child, Elizabeth, was born in October of 1989. In March of 1992, Alex came into the world. She described having children as a light bulb clicking on in her head, and filled her children’s lives with books, music, silliness, and creativity. Alex received her explorative desire to roam new cities and to hike reservations, together they covered miles upon miles. She passed down her love of horseback riding to Elizabeth and for many years they took lessons together. She joined a biking club in the early 2000’s where she found a community of people just as crazily committed as her to do such things as bicycle 100 miles in a day.

Lori filed for a much-needed divorce in 2010. It would be remiss not to mention the ugly parts of life because it is here where she showed such bravery and strength in leaving her marriage. Her life unfolded with more vibrancy afterwards and when she received her cancer diagnosis in 2022, she took it on with the same energy and vigor. She was loath to leave this world and fought for every scrap of life until the end. Lori

was bathed in love in her last weeks by her friends, her cousin Ellen, and her children. She savored and returned every drop. She took her last breath on February 12, 2026, shepherded by her sister Christine. Lori is a survivor, a warrior, who loved her friends, family, and children so fiercely.

She is survived by;

Elizabeth Luchejko, Alex Luchejko, Christine MacCumber DeVito, Ellen MacCumber

Janes, Lisa MacCumber, Matthew MacCumber and all her friends

A celebration of life will be held March 7, 2026. Please reach out to family for details.