Gloria Freitas Steidinger

Gloria Freitas Steidinger (Giovannucci) of Easton, Massachusetts passed away on March 16, 2024, just over a month before her 92nd birthday. Born in Lynn, Massachusetts and raised in Norwood, Gloria was the second of seven children of Joseph and Marie Giovannucci. Gloria is survived by her sister, Marilyn Raines of Las Vegas and Ronald Giovannucci (Sharon) of Alexandria, Virginia. She was also sister to the late Viola Kirk, Evelyn Resch, Vitorio Giovannucci and Joseph Giovannucci.
Gloria's childhood conditions were less than ideal, and she found solace in the woods, running and playing among the trees, moss and rocks until it was too dark to stay out any longer. This manifested a lifelong passion for plants, gardening, and the inspiring art of nature. Gloria graduated from Norwood High School and having few other options, completed a course at Peabody Secretarial School.
She met her husband, Louis Freitas, at a dance and they immediately shared a love and level of expertise on the dance floor that lasted decades - not just the foxtrot or waltz, Louis led Gloria around the dancefloor in the cha-cha, rumba, and even the merengue. Gloria raised three children in Easton and wedged-in her love for gardening and the outdoors in between mountains of diapers, food preparation and her entrepreneur husband who was growing a thriving real estate business in downtown Easton. She discovered her talent for floral design among her sister soulmates at the long-running Easton Garden Club which in turn, set her foot on the path to a competitive career and speaking tours in the art of contemporary floral design.
Starting locally, Gloria soon had a speaking circuit that covered the East Coast. Long before GPS, Gloria would pack the station wagon with all her exhibits, follow a hand-drawn map (she was a visual person), and hit the road with the CB radio on, using her handle, "Freit Train." While her audiences adored her with sellout crowds and standing ovations, so did the truckers on the road, chatting with "Freit Train" on the CB. Gloria's work as an exhibitor, speaker, and Master Judge brought her exciting travels to many countries, including Peru, England, Belgium, France, Canada, Bermuda, and twice to her personal favorite, New Zealand. Closer to home, her work as a Master Judge showcased her expertise and her written comments for the exhibitors were memorable for their insightful critiques and flair for description. A natural performer, Gloria reveled in her numerous local television appearances, as well as being an invited guest designer to the decorating of the White House for the Christmas holidays. She is one of the originators of Boston Museum of Fine Arts' annual "Art in Bloom" and her Easton Community Access Television show, "Designing with Gloria" continues to air today.
Gloria was very involved in the beautification of her adopted hometown of Easton. To name just a few of her accomplishments - she uncovered and led the clearing of the overgrown Queset Gardens, obtained a grant to restore the town's "Rockery" back to what renowned F. L. Olmsted intended it to be, helped organize a monthly rather swanky dance to raise funds to repair the historic Oakes Ames Memorial Hall – a favorite local social event for over 25 years, developed an extensive Butterfly Garden at the Natural Resources Trust, and convinced the local trade school to construct window boxes for every downtown storefront and then lead the Easton Garden Club to fill them with beautiful, seasonal plantings. Gloria reveled in providing flower arrangements for family weddings from 1972 to 2004 and for local events at Borderland State Park, Ames Estate and the Historical Society.
Despite her skyrocketing success, Gloria never forgot her roots and stayed a lifetime member, and one-time President of the Easton Garden club. Gloria's numerous local awards and commendations for her civic duty include the W.L. Chafin award for outstanding commitment to historic preservation in the Town of Easton and outstanding service award by Easton Lions Club.
Lucky in love, Gloria remarried after Louis' passing to her high school friend Paul Steidinger who quickly became the darling of the Easton Garden Club with his ability to build sets and hang complex holiday designs. Gloria was a natural athlete and competitive in any sport she picked up; skiing in her 20's, tennis in her 40's, golfing in her 60's. Much to the chagrin of her neighboring adult children, Gloria could be seen riding her bicycle up and down the gravel driveway well into her 80's. She was always the life of the party, committed to learning the newest dance craze, lived for delivering April Fool Day pranks to her husband Louis, read voraciously, and was always interesting and interested. Above all, she was the most loyal friend and mother. Gloria lived life unapologetically and relied heavily on her faith.
She will be missed by so many and her survivors include her biggest fan club; son Richard Freitas (Lori Miller), daughters Rosemary Williams (John), Gail Devins (Rick), and her beloved grandchildren, Jacqueline Devins, Brooke Devins, Bradford Devins and Bonnie Freitas Foster (Russell).
Funeral service will be held at the Fellowship Church, 604 Foundry Street, Easton, MA, on April 13, 2024, 10AM. Burial will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, 83 Canton Street, Easton. Visitation will be held at Kane's Funeral Home, 605 Washington Street, Easton on April 12, 2024 from 5-8 PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the following charities may be made in Gloria's memory: Natural Resources Trust of Easton, PO Box 188, North Easton, MA 02356. Website: nrtofeaston.org; Easton Garden Club, PO Box 14, Easton, MA 02334. Website: Eastongardenclub.org; Easton Historical Society, PO Box 3, North Easton, MA 02356. Website: Eastonmahistoricalsociety.org.