In Memory—Timothy Lorenc 1/12/1949-8/4/2021
Sears made Silvertone guitars, and for $11.00 Tim Lorenc was able to purchase one at Jack’s Jewelers Pawn Shop. This began his lifelong love of music and stringed instruments. These were parlor guitars, and were popular in an era where neighbors and families would get together and make their own music. When he was 17, he had a South Bend paper route. He would collect money on Friday nights and when he entered the Hungarian neighborhoods of the city, he was introduced to some of the best musicians. He followed their tunes to the south side of town, where he would spend his time soaking up their sad, dramatic music. “There were some Hungarian bars on the south side of town,” Tim reminisced. “I’d go there after I graduated from high school, and I’d go there and listen to these guys on a Friday night. The music was the culture. I’d just sit there and listen.”
Friends would gather and have hootenannies, a time to sing and play popular folk songs. Tim even shared one of the songbooks that they would use. From gospel, soul, folk and Americana, the book was full of popular songs that would entertain the youth for hours on end. That time would be cut short when he was drafted for military service during the Vietnam War. He spent four years in the service, his last year in Thailand. He found a rather intriguing treasure far from home at this military base. “I was going through the library one day,” he explained. “And they had a book called Classical Guitar Construction by Irving Sloane.” This book piqued his interest and in 1973 he “cooked” his first guitar on his mother’s stove.
“You have to cook the guitar,” Tim continued. “The resin softens as you heat it. As you’re boiling this wood you can put it into a form and slowly you can start to change the shape.” The basic parts of the guitar are the top, the two sides, the back and the neck. It is quite tricky to make sure everything is glued together and doesn’t spring back on you. “There is a lot of tension…stress that is going on,” Tim said. “This is called resonance.” Over the years, Tim has taken this guitar apart and put it back together. It even sat in parts for eight years. Today it is a beautiful instrument, with artistic inlays and rich wooden hues.
He joined a folk band and while he played music, he also continued to make other instruments. He has made a heart-shaped guitar, a banjo and a banjolele (a cross between a banjo and a ukulele). All of them are rich and beautiful and perfectly unique. One of them has inlays of shells that they had gathered on a trip to Mexico. “The way to make something sound different is to sand it,” he explained. “To start taking layers off. That’s the way to fine tune it.”
The band gave Tim much more than enjoyment and something to do on weekends and evenings; it also brought him and his wife, Pat, together. Tim had to go to a band member’s home to bring money they collected for that evening. “It was winter, so he came to the door and I opened it,” Pat
shared. “He just stood there, and I said, ‘Shut the door, it’s cold.’ Then he came in.” They married on July 7, 1978 and have celebrated 43 years together. Pat is also a musician.
Music continued to be a part of their lives, though sometimes it had to take a place on the side of other important life events. Tim taught school for Niles Community Schools and then worked in housing rehab for a time as well. He also worked for Oaklawn, a provider of mental health and addiction services . He was able to integrate his love of music with his work at times. He worked at Portage Manor and would organize Christmas caroling concerts and fun music activities for the residents there. He’d continue to play a gig here and there during these busy days. In more recent days, Tim has been involved with The California Street String Band and Music Village. These have been wonderful avenues for his talent.
Tim wishes his fingers moved as expertly as they used to. Even so, he was able to pluck out some pretty impressive tunes. However, cancer and the resulting treatments have really made it difficult for him to play. Chemo has made him so fatigued that he doesn’t have the stamina to play. But he has a physical therapist, and the wonderful thing is that his therapist is also a guitar player. “He was so weak from the pneumonia he couldn’t use his fingers,” Pat said. “The therapist got him using his fingers and then getting back and playing the instruments more.”
Hospice is about continuing to live the life we want to live, as long as we can make it possible. We may have to make some changes; however, what is important to someone should still be a priority at any stage of life. When he became a Center for Hospice Care patient, we wanted to celebrate and recognize his gifts and talents, because even if his body may make it more difficult, he is still wonderfully and beautifully gifted. He can still share his passions with the world. Pat has appreciated Arlin, their chaplain and the support. “If you have a question or run into an issue,” she said. “You just pick up the phone and call somebody.” We are driven to celebrate and support him and his family. Tim stays connected with his Music Village group. He may not go in person, but on Tuesdays, sometimes they Zoom. He’ll practice a song and if he feels up to it, he’ll play and sometimes he won’t.
That $11.00 at the pawn shop when Tim was only 11 years old was a very wise investment. It provided him a lifetime of music, beautiful handmade instruments, the introduction to his wonderful wife and many memories.