Douglas J. Torretta

On Christmas morning, December 25th, 2023, the heavens opened and welcomed one of the greatest humans on this side of the Atlantic. Douglas Joseph Torretta, age 73, died as a result of a short but valiant parry with small cell lung cancer. His spirit is carried on by his wife of 52 years, Mary (Hargens) Torretta, and his children and grandchildren about whom he would boast to anyone within earshot: Sarah (husband Andy, children Fenyx (Jack), Arlo, and Juniper); Michael (wife Jamie); Joseph (wife Joanie, children Tyson, Sadie and Evie); and Ellen (husband Faust, children Giada, Santi, and Vinny); beloved siblings Pat (Tony), Greg (Kathleen), Tom, and Bob (Linda); many in-laws, nieces, and nephews, numerous colleagues and countless friends. Doug is reunited with his parents, Gregory and Helen (Koehler) Torretta, his brother, Ricky, and sister Joanne. We imagine he's also pretty keen to catch up with his Uncle "Unc" Carl, Aunt Clara, and his Grandma Anna Koehler.
A resident of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, Doug was born in Manhattan, NY, and grew up in Queens and East Islip, Long Island. He was a New Yorker through and through, but when, after high school, he found himself in the middle of a South Dakota cornfield playing football for Yankton College and he met his wife Mary, a little bit of that New Yorker gave space for those high, great plains. He and Mary raised their four kids in Sioux Falls, SD, among fantastic stories of surfing, lifeguarding on the Atlantic, clamming, and all sorts of shenanigans involving his brothers and the infamous neighborhood gang of friends. His storytelling skills were unmatched, and not only because he had maintained his signature Long Island accent long after it should have given way to a South Dakota drawl.
We were blessed to learn many valuable lessons from Doug, among them: when you're at the ballpark, you just gotta eat a dog. Always wear your seatbelt, and never stop reminding your children to wear their seatbelts even if they are well into their 40s. Let your kids stand on top of your feet while you dance around with them in the kitchen. Call your siblings and your friends often, and always answer the phone when they ring you. When your children bring home stray animals, pretend to be annoyed at first, but end up loving those animals the most out of anyone. Make everything and anything into a song, and sing it loud with the windows rolled down when dropping off your teenagers at the high school. Cry openly and generously whenever you feel touched, which should be often, whether you are listening to Sinatra or re-reading "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." When the occasion presents itself to sponsor your son-in-law during his naturalization ceremony, take it hand over heart, and feel immensely proud to be an American citizen. Laugh without any sound coming out, with a bright red face and tears rolling down your cheeks. When one of your kids has to drive through the night across the country, stay with them on the other end of the phone, and regale them with tales of the 1966 Thanksgiving Game Upset, when underdog East Islip took on their bitter rival Central Islip for an improbable 39-0 win. Remain positive in the face of all challenges. Never stop improving yourself. Forgive often and easily. Keep faith in God. Find any and every occasion to eat good food with people you love, ideally that which involves some kind of pasta. And most importantly, always, always raise a toast to the beautiful life you were given and have made.
At the family's request, services will be held privately on January 27th at the Robert Toale & Sons Celebration of Life Center, 4310 Solutions Ln, Bradenton, FL. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Doug's honor may be made to Girls Inc. of Sarasota County, a non-profit dedicated to empowering young girls to positions of leadership, of which he was a past officer and longtime advocate.