Loretta Rita Hennessey

Loretta Rita Hennessey of Aquebogue, died at her home Sept. 26, 2013, with her family by her side. She was 96 years young.

Loretta was born in Flushing May 24, 1917, the ninth of Mary and George Reilly’s 11 children. She attended St. Michael’s Grammar School and Flushing High School. She was employed at Case the Printer in Flushing and Sunshine Biscuit in Long Island City and went on to become an electronic troubleshooter at Hazeltine in Little Neck.

She married Walter E. Hennessey in April 1946 at St. Mary’s Nativity in Flushing, where she was a faithful member of the Parish for the next 42 years.

In 1988, she moved to Cutchogue with her son, Walter Peter; daughter-in-law, Marianne (Fontana); daughter, Kathleen Renzi; and grandson, Bryan Renzi.

Loretta was the longest-lived of her siblings: May Lynch, Isabelle, William, George, Catherine, Josephine Geisser, Margaret Durkin, Frank, Agnes Bossdorf and Anna Pirz. She was also predeceased by her husband and her son-in-law, Nicholas Biaggio Renzi. Loretta has 30 nieces and nephews across the country and a great-daughter-in-law, Larisa Sharifi. For the last year and a half, Loretta was cared for by her loving aide, Nicola Lewis, to whom we will be forever grateful.

The family received friends Sept. 29 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. A funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 30 at St. Patrick R.C. Church in Southold. Interment followed at Pinelawn National Cemetery in Farmingdale.

Memorial donations may be sent to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

This is a paid notice.