Mrs. Loretta M. Mathison, 82, of Punta Gorda, FL passed away peacefully, of natural causes, Saturday, February 12, 2011 at Tidewell Hospice House. Port Charlotte, FL.

She was born on May 22, 1928 in Newark, New Jersey to Jane Plunkett Zieman and William Zieman. Loretta spent a significant portion of her younger years in Aruba, D.W.I. where her father was employed by Standard Oil. The family returned to Belleville, NJ at the onset of WW II. She was later employed by New Jersey Bell Telephone Company as a supervisor of Central Office Equipment tracing files, where she met her husband Bob. After being a {stay at home mom} in Morris Plains and Randolph, NJ, until the children completed school, she became secretary to a vice principal in the Randolph school system. Later Loretta had a career as a successful real estate agent. During her life in New Jersey she served as president of the Morris Plains Garden Club and was extremely involved in local Republican political activities.

Loretta and Bob retired in 1983 and moved to Punta Gorda where they enjoyed Florida’s wonderful west coast lifestyle and the many fine friends they met there. While a member of the Isles Yacht Club, she was elected as President of the I. Y. C. Islettes and was a member of its Board of Directors. She loved to sing as a soloist in club amateur shows and choral groups, play duplicate bridge and mah jongg, work in the garden and cruise the near and far waters of Florida in their boat.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Robert, a daughter Martha of Oakland Township, MI, a son R. David, Jr. of Sugar Land, TX, a sister Mary Jane Harwin of Prescott Valley, AZ; five grandchildren; two step grandchildren and numerous cousins.