Delta Gamma Fraternity Mourns the Loss of Former Fraternity President Loretta Petrucce Roselle
It is with profound sadness we share the passing of former Fraternity President Loretta “Laurie” Petrucce Roselle, Beta Iota-Purdue. Laurie left this world peacefully on August 9, 2024. Laurie was a vibrant force of nature when it came to motivating, inspiring and supporting both Delta Gamma Fraternity and the Delta Gamma Foundation. She is best characterized as passionate, high energy, caring, determined, thoughtful and giving. Up until the very end, her smile was infectious, and her determination to succeed in every endeavor she tackled was genuine and remarkable.
Former Fraternity President Maureen Sweeney Syring, Nu-Idaho, who met Laurie when she was a collegian, said, “You never know how our two words, do good, may touch another’s heart. Laurie never stopped believing that. She never stopped doing good.”
Laurie was involved in Delta Gamma from day one, often leading the way and setting an example for generations of sisters. When she lived in New York, she served as Province Collegiate Chairman and Regional Director, among other leadership roles. After moving back to Indiana, she started eight years of Fraternity Council service: four years as Council Trustee: Communications, two years as Council Trustee: Fraternity Programming, and then as Fraternity President from 2012-14. She served four years as a member of the Foundation Board of Trustees.
As a testament to her unwavering devotion to Delta Gamma and her greater community, Laurie was one of only two members to receive every Fraternity award, recognizing extraordinary contributions in leadership, philanthropy and loyalty. In 2022, she received the Order of the Delta Gamma Rose, Delta Gamma's highest recognition, given to alumnae who have made notable contributions to the world or their country. Many of her efforts centered on people who are blind or have low vision community through the Foundation, yet her heart extended well beyond the basics, always taking everything to a higher level. Whether collecting prom dresses for under-privileged high schoolers, running a silent auction to fund a suite at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital or managing a trivia night to benefit Visually Impaired Pre-school Services (VIPS), Laurie took immense joy in seeing others benefit from her boundless energy.
As described in her award nomination for the Catherine Stuart Schmoker Principled Leadership Award, “She doesn’t merely participate, she orchestrates, plants seeds and creates. ... In between the multitude of extensive projects she juggles simultaneously, her mind is always in overdrive, whether volunteering or donating from her own coffers, asking others to follow suit, or continually seeking donation items for the plethora of her infamous auctions.”
When Laurie was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, the outpouring of love, affection and support she received was a true reflection of the many lives she had touched. She will be forever remembered for her handwritten notes, cards and special gifts for both family and friends that were always thoughtful and much appreciated. This devotion was continued by helpful and loyal friends when Laurie could no longer write yet still wanted to reach out.
Our most heartfelt condolences go out to her husband of 42 years, John, her family of doting siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. Read the obituary here.
About Delta Gamma: Delta Gamma Fraternity was founded in 1873 at Lewis School in Oxford, Mississippi. The Fraternity’s primary purpose is to foster high ideals of friendship, promote educational and cultural interests, create a true sense of social responsibility and develop the best qualities of character. Delta Gamma has 280,000 initiated members, 147 collegiate chapters and more than 170 alumnae groups. Delta Gamma Fraternity Executive Offices is in Columbus, Ohio.