It is with great sadness that we report that Loretta Siracusa Haugen, 71, died peacefully and surrounded by her family in McCarthy Care Center, Sandwich, on February 10, 2022 from complications of diabetes.
Loretta was born April 26, 1950 in Bridgeport, CT, the first of four children, to Nino and Phyllis (Flory) Siracusa and grew up in Weston MA, attending its grammar school and graduating from Weston High School. She attended Centenary College and received her BA from Emerson University in Boston.
After graduation, she worked at the Provident Bank where she met her husband of 45 years, Peter Haugen. They lived in Framingham and Southborough during which she went back to her true vocation in real estate sales working for Caldwell Banker in Sudbury until she and Peter retired to Osterville on the Cape, which had always been a second home to Loretta.
Her childhood summers were spent in Hyannis until the family bought a home on Great Island overlooking Lewis Bay. An early and lifelong member of the Hyannis Yacht Club, she learned to sail and other ocean skills at the club. Aside from her own boating activities, she was often seen perched on her friends’ boats in the various Hyannis waters which earned her —among her friends—the title “Queen of the Harbor.”
Loretta was an avid gardener and belonged to the Framingham Garden club before moving and joining the Osterville Garden Club where she held various offices and volunteered in many of its civic and fundraising projects— making Christmas arrangements for delivery to seniors; running the Boutique at the club’s garden and house tours among other volunteer work. Loretta was a member of the Friends of the Cotuit Library and helped decorate the library during the holidays. She also created tabletop trees for the Osterville Historical Museum’s annual Festival of Trees fundraiser at Christmas.
She loved reading and book clubs, painting in oils and watercolors, the beach, swimming, and a good party. Music and theater were important parts of Loretta’s life and she enjoyed concerts—both classical and contemporary —and attending plays and musicals; Most Happy Fella was her favorite. She enjoyed traveling, making trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Europe, Aruba, and many other domestic sites.
Proud of her Italian heritage, she was a fabulous cook and gracious entertainer, as well as having a flair for interior design. Her homes were always showcases reflecting her good taste. She often dressed in her signature black but always with a bright accent scarf and distinctive jewelry. Beside her husband, Loretta leaves her sisters Nina Stokes, Esther Murphy, and her brother John and sister-in-law Lori Siracusa, her sister-in-law, Lynn Haugen as well as many nieces and nephews and a grandniece. She was predeceased by her niece, Amy Siracusa. In addition, she leaves the legacy of welcoming and caring for many German Shepherds including her current companion, Lexi. She leaves many friends from various quarters who will miss her greatly. Her family and friends particularly want to thank Linda Morrissey and Gary Guzzeau for all the support they gave Loretta these past months.
There are no services planned but a Celebration of Life will be held in the Spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Loretta’s memory to the American Diabetes Association at P.O. Box 7023 Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or online; and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
(Obituary and photo via Doane Beal & Ames)
