Loralyn Ledwell Cropper

Loralyn Ledwell Cropper lost her long battle with cancer on Saturday 10/13.  She was surrounded by her family and friends.  She was 56, and a 12 year resident of Wilton. Loralyn was born in Southern California and grew up in Malibu.  She graduated form Santa Monica High School in 1980 and went on to earn her BA from Scripts College in women’s studies, with a concentration in modern dance. 

After graduating in 1984, Loralyn struck out on her own and settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan to establish a professional dancing career.  She had some success, performing at the New York Civic Center and PS 124, but after several years struggling as a dancer, Loralyn decided to change careers and attend business school.  She graduated from Columbia Business School in 1992 with an MBA in marketing and worked as a marketing executive for various cosmetics companies, including Avon, Este Lauder and L’oreal.   Of her marketing career in cosmetics, Loralyn once said, “Cosmetics help people feel good about themselves.”  While raising her children, Loralyn took a break from the corporate life to work as a community councilor for Au Pair in America, where she got to know many Wilton families closely.  

 In 2011, Loralyn embarked on yet another career change, and found her passion in fundraising and development.  She began by raising money for Riverdale Country Day School and City College of NY, but she really hit her stride working for the US Coast Guard Foundation, raising money for improved facilities and scholarships for the children of those serving in the Coast Guard.  She was a natural born fundraiser.   

In 2017 and most of 2018, Loralyn led the Coast Guard Foundation in raising money nationally.  The secret to her success was that she loved people.  To Loralyn, contacting prospective donors for gifts wasn’t making a cold call, it was making new friends and talking about how to help the service members.   Loralyn is survived by her husband of 22 years, Patrick Cropper, and her children, Emma Cropper and Lewis Cropper.  She will be dearly missed. 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday 10/27 at 11 AM in the chapel of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church at the corner of 5th Ave and 55th St in Manhattan.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the US Coastguard Foundation @ coastguard foundation.org

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