Louise Kathryn (Pretko) Tatangelo

Louise Kathryn Tatangelo peacefully bid farewell to all of those who loved her on August 28, 2021 at the most fortunate age of 92. The power of her Love is so strong it will be with us forever.

Louise will forever be our family’s Matriarch. Her offerings of unconditional love and shared words of wisdom will live on as long as we do. What she learned from being a child of the Great Depression, coming of age during the Second World War, raising her children in the turbulent 60’s, and watching all of her loved ones now negotiate, as best we each can, this time of world-wide pandemic will continue to serve us well.

After turning just eighteen, Louise bravely left behind her Mom, Dad and sister Jeanne, in Cleveland Ohio, to marry the love of her life, George Tatangelo, to settle in Bridgeport, then Fairfield, Connecticut. Together they were married for sixty-six years. Louise’s long life was largely devoted first to her three children Jeanne, Gary and Glenn, then to her six grandchildren Danielle, Anthony, Chantal, Brianne, Michael, Big Mike and, finally, to her seven great-grandchildren Caleb, Sophia, Aveline, Stella, Angelo, Meadow and Stephania. And yes, there will be more, soon on the way! These newest members of our wonderful family will surely hear our cherished stories of Mom, Grandma, Nana.

How she loved working in her flower garden! How she enjoyed long chats on the phone with family and friends! How she enjoyed plating crackers, cheese and shrimp to spontaneously entertain anyone who dropped in! How lovingly she welcomed our spouses and significant others into the family! Elizabeth Tatangelo, Dana Ulvi, Tina Tatangelo, Natalie Zurfluh, Alex Bijanada, Sumer Tatangelo, Mike DeFelippo, John Vazzano and Nikki Engel, how she loved you all! Sister-in-law and brother-in-law Anne and Jon Mercurio, thank you for the love you shared.

What an inspiration our beloved Mom, Grandma, Nana was to all of us when she lost her leg to cancer at the age of eighty-five only to lose her husband George, Dad, Grandpa, Papa just 10 months later. Oh she was tough and accepting and kind!

All of those who loved her will be forever grateful to the staff at Brightview Shelton where she made her home for the last twenty months of her blessed life. Thank you to Jennifer Rodriquez, Jillian Alves, Taina Santana and Elisa Rodriguez for making those last months so comfortable and full of such trusted care. You became part of our family and Louise loved each of you.

Mom made it very clear to her children that she wanted no formal memorials of any kind. She trusted that each of her loved ones would remember her in their own unique way. That was our Mom, Grandma, Nana, Louise.