Loretta Ford Goldrick of Newport, RI passed away peacefully on September 6, 2024, at home surrounded by her loving family at 94 years of age.
Born on August 18, 1930, Loretta was the daughter of the late William Joseph Ford and Mary Margaret Healy who emigrated from County Galway, Ireland. Loretta attended Jamaica Plain High School and graduated from Regis College in Weston, MA with a major in home economics.
Loretta wrote with poise and humor for the Boston Globe from 1958 to 1966. Her stories covered a wide range of topics, including international travel, The America’s Cup, historical New England homes and the newest trends in cooking and decorating. During her time at the Boston Globe, she interviewed and reported on many notable figures, including Julia Child, former UN ambassador and 1956 presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II, and Israeli ambassador Abba Eban.
Loretta Goldrick married Thomas F. Macdonald, a lawyer and gifted sailor, in 1964. Loretta and Thomas had one child, Heather Ann Macdonald. Thomas Macdonald passed away in 1967. Loretta married Thomas D. Goldrick in 1969 and raised their combined family of five children in Hingham, Massachusetts.
Tom and Loretta moved to Newport, RI in 1986. For many years, Tom and Loretta ran the Book Bay bookstore in Brick Market Place, Newport, RI. Later they enjoyed sharing their beautifully decorated home and Tom’s delicious cooking while running The Elliott Boss House Bed and Breakfast. Loretta and Tom were active in the affairs of the Point Association.
Loretta leaves behind a daughter Heather (Macdonald) Szczepiorkowski and her husband Zbigniew Macdonald Szczepiorkowski of Hanover, NH. She also leaves behind her grandsons, Liam Szczepiorkowski of San Diego, CA, and Luke Szczepiorkowski of Hanover, NH. She is survived by her stepchildren, Mark Goldrick of Newport, RI; Thomas Goldrick III of Halifax, MA, and Mary Shields of Clearwater, FL. Her youngest stepson Edward Goldrick of Oxford, NE died in 2017 after battling cancer, leaving behind Loretta’s daughter-in-law, Janet Goldrick.
She is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families: Suzanne Collins and her husband Gregory of Brookline; Laura Manning and her husband Thomas of Hingham; Mark Dolphin and his wife Linda of Hull; William Dolphin and his wife Alison of California; Peter Dolphin and his wife Claudia of Hingham; David Dolphin of Portsmouth, NH; Christopher Barrett and his wife Sandra of Marlborough and John Barrett of Duxbury and his wife Ellen.
Loretta’s wish to remain in her home was facilitated by a kind and loving team of support givers.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 10:00 AM, St. Mary’s Church, corner of Spring St & Memorial Blvd, Newport, RI. Her internment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Loretta’s memory may be made to St. Anthony Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston, MA 02110, https://stanthonyshrine.org.
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