To some Lorraine Warren (and her husband Ed, who predeceased her in 2006) were America’s first great paranormal investigators, fearlessly exposing a demonic infiltration of their New England backyard without asking for a dime in return. To others, they were fundamentalist scam artists deliberately targeting Catholic families and making a fortune from associated endeavours. The DDP is a centrist endeavour, so we’ll say: they probably did more than any other couple to further the progress of demonic folklore in the 20th century.
Warren was a self-described clairvoyant when she met US Navy vet Ed. Together, they founded the New England Society for Psychic Research. Their work has been the basis for numerous films, including 17 movies based on the Amityville Hauntings, as well as the current The Conjuring franchise (Annabelle, The Nun et al). It also meant that Warren got to be portrayed on screen by Vera Farmiga, so I can only assume she too had a fantastic arse in her younger days.
Lorraine Warren
January 31, 1927 – April 18, 2019
Died aged 92 (unique hit)