Tregonnan Margaret née Morrison was born in 1935 in Sydney, Australia. “Tregonnan” is a Cornish surname, a variant of Tregoning and meaning “homestead on a hill.” Hugh Tregoning (1759-1812) was a direct ancestor.
Treg was the eldest of three children. Growing up, she was very close to her sister, Janet, with whom she went to Brighton School in Sydney as a boarder.
Treg’s father, William Morrison, a graphic artist, was born in Hamilton, New Zealand. Her mother, Beryl née Blackmore, studied piano in New Zealand at the Royal Conservatory and then completed her studies in Australia where she began teaching piano. William died at the age of 31 in England on Sept. 24, 1943, during the height of World War II; his brother, Keith, also died during WWII.
At the age of 8, Treg moved to New Zealand with her mother and siblings but at age 13 returned to Sydney, where she completed her education, graduating from the Nursery School Training College in 1954. It was at this time that she developed her lifelong love of both travel and teaching.
She traveled to and taught in Manila, the Philippines; Italy; Vienna, Austria; Germany; Sweden and Finland. She also taught in Holland for a year before moving to London, England, where she taught preschool for five years. She wrote of her time in London: “I spent a few exciting years in the early 1960s working at a famous clothier on Regent Street in London, not far from the famous Penny Lane!”
In the early 1960s Treg headed to the United States and bought a Greyhound America Pass. She traveled the country before discovering Ellsworth where she met and, after a yearlong courtship, married John Lorence, an artist, in 1968. They lived for a time on Great Cranberry Island in an artist community. Treg herself enjoyed weaving in particular. Her beautifully woven pieces of clothing and wall hangings were much sought after and found their rightful place in area exhibits.
Treg’s teaching career flourished in Wiscasset at the Montessori School, where she worked for seven years before retiring after 40 years of teaching. While at Cove’s Edge, she wrote: “My love of children remains as strong today as it was on that first day and I hold dear the memories of the many young souls I touched in those years. It is among the proudest achievements of my life.”
After retiring, Treg lived in Lubec, where she had several dear friends.
Treg is survived by her son, Nile Lorence; her former husband, John Lorence; and her two siblings in Australia, Janet and Hugh.
The above is mainly adapted from a short autobiography that was posted outside Treg’s room at Cove’s Edge in Damariscotta, where she passed away on Dec. 14, 2025, shortly after celebrating her 90th birthday.
A celebration of Treg’s life is planned for June in Lubec. For details, see Treg’s tribute page at directcremationofmaine.com.
