Lois Sweitzer Loretangeli

EASTON – Lois Elise Sweitzer Loretangeli, “Poochie”, passed away on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center. She was 92 years old. Born at home in Federalsburg, MD on June 15, 1931, Poochie was the daughter of the late Robert Sweitzer and Lois Roberts Sweitzer. The family soon moved to Tilghman Island, where she spent her youth, up until her wedding day. She attended St. Michaels High School, where she played basketball. She always reminisced about having to hitchhike the 14 miles home from practice after missing the bus. With her cuteness and charm, she always managed to find a ride. Soon after graduating from high school in 1948, she met her future husband, Sabatini “Sabby” Loretangeli, from Bordentown, NJ, on a blind date. The sparks flew between them, and the long distance romance ensued until their wedding day on September 22, 1951. The couple resided in Bordentown, where Poochie took a job with New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, until the birth of her first child, James, three years later. Not long after, along came Michael, David, Daniel and Andrea. She was a busy mother and homemaker until Andrea started to attend school. Poochie finally learned how to drive, and was welcomed back at NJ Manufacturers. She later went on to work for the NJ Dept of Transportation, as an accountant, until her retirement. She lived through two tragedies in her life, the first, in 1965, being the sudden death of her young son, David, at the age of 7, from a childhood illness, then losing her husband, Sabby, at the age of 72, to cancer in 1995. Since her husband was gone, and her children grown, her sisters, on the Eastern Shore, convinced her to move back “home”. In 1997, she moved to St. Michaels, bought a house, and began her new life. Poochie reconnected with some of her childhood friends, and enjoyed a happy social life. Her sons, Jim and Mike, and daughter, Andrea all relocated to MD, so she had most of her family there to support her. Her son, Dan, remained in NJ and bought the family home where they all grew up. He still lives there with his wife, Nancy. In her final years, she lived alone quietly, sunning on her back deck, watching her favorite TV shows, and enjoying her favorite meals, soft crabs and fried oysters. Her children would visit often, and her son Mike, called her every day at 6pm. It was the highlight of her day! The final months brought a multitude of health issues that eventually became too much for her to bear. She was made comfortable with her family at her bedside, then passed quietly in her sleep. She had a good full life with very few regrets. Poochie is survived by sons, James (Michele), Michael (Linda) and Daniel (Nancy), daughter Andrea (Diane), three grandchildren, Augustus, Alexis and Davide, all from North Carolina, her sisters, Rea (Sweitzer) Poore and Sue (Sweitzer) Shores, and brother-in-law, Ferdinand Loretangeli from Bordentown. She was preceded in death by her husband Sabby, son David, Sweitzer brothers Albert (Buddy), Lloyd, and Robert (Pete), and Sweitzer sisters Bernice Leonard and Irma Harper. A graveside service will be held at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bordentown, NJ on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 11:00am. All are invited to attend.

Lois Sweitzer Loretangeli

June 15, 1931 - March 16, 2024