Loretta May (Barnes) Almquist, 81 of Douglassville, Pennsylvania, formerly of Analomink, Pennsylvania, died on Friday, December 2, 2022, at Keystone Villa at Douglassville in Douglassville, Pennsylvania.
Born July 14, 1941 in Scaggsville, Howard County, Maryland, she was the daughter of the late Frank Barnes and the late Anna (Connor) Barnes. She was the wife of Richard Paul Almquist. Loretta attended Eastern College where she met her future husband, Richard. They were married on December 16, 1961 after their wedding plans were accelerated by the U.S. Army’s placement of Richard on active duty. Loretta continued her college studies at Frostburg State Teachers College in Maryland and Wayne State University in Michigan during Richard’s military service and graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education from Monmouth College in New Jersey.
Throughout their marriage, Loretta and Richard lived in Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois (where both of her children were born and raised), the Netherlands, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Loretta and Richard loved to travel and made regular visits to Europe, developing a life-long love affair with Greece.
Loretta was also committed to volunteer work, spending time as a hospital volunteer at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Illinois, cooking for conferees at a Baptist conference center in Illinois, visiting residents at nursing communities in Colorado and Pennsylvania. Perhaps her most committed efforts involved her life-long love of knitting: knitting caps for stillborn infants and washcloths for Operation Christmas Child.
Surviving along with her husband are son, Richard P. Almquist, Jr. and his wife, Heather Kramer Almquist of Exeter Twp., PA and 1 grandchild, Oriana Kramer Almquist.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Katherine A. Almquist.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Samaritan’s Purse, PO BOX 3000 Boone, NC 28607.
Dengler Funeral Home, Inc. Birdsboro, PA, is in charge of arrangements.
