Loretta Ellen Dannessa

Loretta E. Dannessa

October 13, 1932-September 13, 2024

Loretta Ellen Dannessa (nee Clouser), 91, passed away on September 13, 2024, one month short of her 92nd birthday at The Inn at Poland Way. Formerly of Austintown, she was a lifelong resident of Youngstown. She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel T. Dannessa, her sister Joann Peacock, and parents Anna M. (Semivan) and Augustine I. Clouser. She is survived by her children Robert Dannessa (Coleen) of Youngstown, granddaughter Briana Dannessa, of Pittsburgh PA, daughter Karen Dannessa (Henry Grabb) of Downingtown, PA, and brother Robert Clouser (Eileen) of Concord, CA.

She grew up on the south side of Youngstown during its heyday during WWII and spent summers exploring Mill Creek Metro Park every day with her siblings or friends, and a packed lunch of a sandwich, an apple and a bicycle. She talked about walking everywhere then and enjoying the natural beauty of northeastern Ohio. She reminisced about how she and her siblings used to ride and play in the elevator at Isaley’s Dairy Company’s downtown building because it was such a novelty then to have an elevator nearby. She met her future husband in the seventh grade when seated alphabetically, and he tapped her shoulder to ask to borrow an eraser. She and Sam then danced their way through high school, Idora Park and beyond to the music of the Big Band era. They married in 1954 after graduation from South High School, Sam’s service in Korea and while Loretta worked in the offices of Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company for several years.

A homebody at heart, Loretta enjoyed a good book, a good movie and a good bowl of soup. Loretta raised her family and several Boston Terriers in Austintown, and enjoyed mastering Czech, Slovak and Italian recipes for holiday gatherings. Her homemade wedding soup, cavatelli, relish tray and kolache Christmas dinners were second to none! She was a member of the Tag Along Club for Fitch High School’s Track Team, supporting Robert who ran cross country and track and supporting Karen’s music by taking her to see the Nutcracker and to hear Benny Goodman play live in downtown Youngstown theatres. Indeed, she remembers seeing Victor Borge perform his piano comedy routine at Hillman Junior High School as a girl. She was immersed in and appreciated the rich cultural and ethnic melting pot of Youngstown.

She was married to Sam for 63 years and became his sole caretaker for nearly 30 years in their home after he suffered a devastating stroke at the age of 51. Later she was his main advocate while he lived at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky. After his death, she was active in Silver Sneakers with the Ursuline Sisters, The Austintown Senior Center and always visited to the local library. She also read the Youngstown Vindicator cover to cover every day. She passed on her great love of reading to her children thus showing them that both a great escape and education could be gleaned from books. She valued her spirited independence and lived alone in her home until the last several years of her life. She is loved and will be missed. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the American Heart Association (https://heart.org.en/affiliates/ohio). There will be no calling hours, and the burial will be private.

Make me an instrument of your peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

 St. Francis of Assisi