The Mass of Christian Burial for Loretta will be livestreamed at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025. To view the livestream, please click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/StThomasAquinasChurchMadison/

Loretta Anne Slattery passed away peacefully on November 28, 2025, joining her husband Thomas, her partner of 70 years, in heaven.

Born on May 5, 1936, in the Bronx, New York to Alice and Arthur Kneringer, Loretta grew up alongside her younger brother Arthur. Coming of age during the tail-end of the Great Depression and throughout World War II, she developed maturity and resilience beyond her years that served her well throughout her remarkable life.

Loretta embraced life with an adventurous spirit from the very beginning. She delighted in sharing stories of her childhood explorations throughout New York City—solo expeditions by bus and train while still in grade school that showcased her independence and fearlessness. She spoke fondly of her Girl Scout days, including summers at Camp Lochbrae in New York, experiences that prepared her well for the adventure of raising a large family. And that fearless nature of hers as a young girl led her to selling over 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in one year. While in high school, Loretta worked in NYC at Macy’s in their gift-wrapping department, something she reminded us of with pride each Thanksgiving as the family gathered to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

After graduating from high school in 1954, Loretta enrolled in nursing school. But life had other plans. One year later she married Thomas, her high school sweetheart from Jersey City, New Jersey, beginning a loving partnership that would span over seven decades and bless them with seven children. Thomas's career took their growing family across the country in the coming years, first when the U.S. Army transferred Thomas to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas in 1956, with their first child already on board. While in El Paso, the young parents welcomed their second child before returning to New Jersey. Over the span of the next six years in New Jersey, their third, fourth and fifth children were welcomed into the fold. Another career move with the Wall Street Journal brought them back to Texas for two years, this time in Dallas, where they welcomed number six. Upon their return to New Jersey and the idyllic town of Gladstone, they welcomed their seventh and final child.

As the years went by, Loretta never missed an opportunity to share updates on her children, and then grandchildren, even with complete strangers. If she could somehow work them into the conversation, it would happen. In the early 70’s when she was a contestant on the TV game show Concentration, the game started late due to the time required for her to recite each of their names. Loretta’s life was wholly centered around her seven children, and the love, support, and generosity knew no bounds.

After settling in Madison, Wisconsin, Loretta later embarked on her own career in the commercial furniture industry. She had a natural way with everyone she worked with, becoming one of the top salespeople in her office. Prior to that she honed her sales skills selling everything from Wall Street Journal subscriptions to Christmas fruitcakes (yes, fruitcakes). If the job could be done from the kitchen table with a phone, she’d find a way to succeed.

Some of Loretta’s favorite ways to spend her time in retirement included daily crossword puzzles and Scrabble. She loved playing cards, especially countless Canasta games with her mother. Evenings were often spent with her husband, Thomas, watching old movies and of course conversation around the infamous kitchen table. She enjoyed annual trips to Las Vegas each winter and Atlantic City each summer to try her luck on the slot machines. She always followed-up her casino trips with stories about her epic winnings. As a rule, the family smartly decided not to challenge those stories.

Family get-togethers over the years were frequent and special. She loved entertaining at their home of almost fifty years in Madison, Wisconsin, and one could always count on some form of dancing in the family room to her favorite artists – Ramsey Lewis, Kool and Gang, Chicago, Paul Simon. If the music moves you … just dance! In their later years, she and Thomas became “snowbirds” and enjoyed winter months at their home in Tucson, AZ and summers in Wisconsin and the Jersey Shore. She enjoyed everything life offered her and truly cherished special time with family and friends.

Loretta is survived by her seven children Thomas (Nancy), Corinne, John (Margaret), Susan (Michael), Jacqueline (Taki), Lisa and Brendan, as well as nine grandchildren (Stuart, Eric, Brian, Thomas, Stephen, Sean, Andoni, Nathalie, and Mattheo) and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Arthur and Alice, brother Arthur and granddaughter Katherine.

Family will greet friends on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Ryan Funeral Home, 6728 Mader Drive, Madison, WI. A time of remembrance will begin at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 602 Everglade Drive, Madison, WI. Visitation will be held at the Church on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 9400 W. Donges Bay Road, Mequon, WI at 2:30 p.m.

The family would like to recognize the staff at University of Wisconsin Hospital, who lovingly cared for Loretta during her last week.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to be made to St. Thomas Aquinas Church or a charity of one’s choice.

To view the obituary or leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Loretta Anne Slattery

May 05, 1936 - November 28, 2025

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