Loretta Alexandre
January 5, 1941 - January 14, 2023

Our beloved Mom, Loretta Jean Alexandre, peacefully passed away on January 14, 2023, surrounded by her loving family. She was so iconic in the town of Ferndale, one only needed to mention “Loretta” and everyone knew who you were talking about.

Born January 5, 1941, in Eureka to William and Mary Trutalli, Loretta was raised on her parent’s dairy farm in Ferndale. She and her younger brother, David, spent their entire lives in the town of Ferndale.

Loretta was an inspirational woman who was a role model for how to love others. She attended Ferndale High School where she was actively involved in Future Homemakers of America, graduating in 1958, then attending Humboldt State University. Loretta dated Joe Alexandre, a Portuguese immigrant from the Azores who was living on a dairy farm in Ferndale. She had been smitten since the age of 15 and they married on April 23,1960.

Loretta and Joe settled in Ferndale’s Grizzly Bluff area, where they were pillars in establishing a tight community and culture of farmers and friends. They all worked and played together, as they raised their families in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Always with abundant laughter and great food, their community shared each other’s lives, through births, deaths, celebrations, floods, and windstorms, usually with lots of cows in the mix! Loretta’s kitchen was always open for a cup of coffee and a conversation, and she could be counted on to lend a helping hand (or lead the charge).

Raising her three children, Renae, Blake, and Kristina, was Loretta’s highest priority, while she also supported Joe in their dairy business. Even though her home was impressively organized, Loretta never was able to find her barn boots! She kept busy with involvement in her children’s activities, throughout their school years, with sports, 4-H & FFA activities.

As her kids grew older, met their spouses, and developed their own lives, Loretta’s grandchildren became her pride and joy. She then became “Noni,” not ever missing a soccer, football, basketball, track, or volleyball game. She was in the stands watching with pride at every fair show too.

After living at the dairy for three decades, Joe and Loretta moved to their new Ferndale home in 1991. Loretta never lost her love for the beauty of Ferndale. Her 30-year dream was to build her own home and Joe supported her in every decision as he knew she had worked on every detail in the plans. Loretta agreed the business came first, but now Joe was saying, “Whatever you want, Sugar,” as she supervised every board and nail. When she reflected on those years, she would say, “The best year of my marriage was building our home with Joe.”

Loretta became known for her love of antiques and was able to fill her dream home with them. Many parts of her beautifully decorated home were built around her favorites. Her love of antiques took her across the country, and she shared numerous antiquing trips with her dear friends and family. Loretta could recall where every piece in the house came from, and the friends she went with and many memories from the trip.

In 2000, Loretta was fully supportive when Joe wanted to purchase a restaurant with a group of friends in downtown Ferndale. “Poppa Joe’s”, became an “old man’s daycare” where the local retired guys would play cards, drink coffee and tell stories, while tourists and locals enjoyed breakfast or lunch. Loretta and Joe celebrated 44 years together before his passing in 2004, and she continuously stayed involved with managing Poppa Joe’s restaurant.

Loretta loved to go camping in Benbow. Joe would drive her little trailer down so she could have fun in the sun with girlfriends and he would return home to fend for himself for the week - which always became a great story. Loretta’s friends were a big part of her life; she was well loved for her generosity, thoughtfulness and cheerfulness.

Loretta was also a planner and had a stack of annual calendars in which she recorded her daily life, appointments, birthdays, or special events on each day. With wonderful creativity and design, she also made memories last through scrapbooking. Her petite little fingers crafted more than 90 extraordinary books of her grandchildren over the years. Specially personalized, these became priceless gifts to grateful family members.

Loretta was a positive force in many communities: Dairy Farming, Poppa Joe’s, Portuguese Catholic Heritage, and Ferndale, where she sang alto in the Ferndale Community and Church choir for decades. She loved to sing. Her choir members became like family, and she enjoyed their fellowship and hosting the annual choir party at her home. Friends till the end, choir members visited Loretta in the hospital days before her passing, and they sang a glorious ‘Amazing Grace’ together.

She is survived by her children: Renae Alameda, Blake & Stephanie Alexandre, Kristina & Will Saltekoff; grandchildren: Justin Lewis, Makenzie Alameda & Nick Bobroff, Joseph & Alexa Alexandre, Christian & Callie Alexandre, Vanessa & Justin Nunes, Dalton Alexandre and Savanna Alexandre; great grandchildren: Caden Lewis, Canaan & Callahan Alexandre, Jora Nunes, and Brylynn Alexandre.

Loretta is preceded in death by her husband Joseph Francis Alexandre, brother David Trutalli, parents William Trutalli and Mary Silveira, grandsons, Jace and Hunter Alameda.

Pallbearers: Darin Trutalli, Justin Lewis, Joseph, Christian & Dalton Alexandre, and Justin Nunes.

Honorary Pallbearers: Ken Mendes, Jerome Davis, Glenn Martella, Bruno Pialorsi, Curt Adorni, Leland Tomasini, Will Saltekoff, Frank Boldrini.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Joe Alexandre Memorial Scholarship Fund where the family supports Ferndale High School graduates with a passion for agriculture. (P.O. Box 1155, Ferndale, Ca 95536).

An intimate family burial blessing has already taken place. Family, friends, and anyone who’s life Loretta may have touched are welcome to join the family on April 23 at 10:45 a.m. at the Catholic Church of the Assumption (564 Berding Street, Ferndale, Ca 95536) where the Mass Intention is for Loretta. The Celebration of Life will follow at 12 p.m. at Portuguese Hall in Ferndale (355 Ocean Avenue, Ferndale, Ca 95536).

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Loretta Alexandre’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.