The Women’s Advancement Initiative celebrates the life of Louise Earle Loomis, a dedicated educator and leader in critical thinking, who died on April 22, 2023, at the age of 94.
Her brilliant mind, kind heart, and generosity has made a difference in the lives of so many at The Women's Advancement Initiative and throughout the University community.
Her passion for education shined bright in all she did throughout her career and even into retirement. Loomis taught science at Weaver High School when she and her husband Worth moved to Hartford in 1970, then earned a master’s degree in urban education from the University of Hartford and a doctorate in creative education at the University of Massachusetts. When she retired from the classroom, she led seminars and workshops in critical creative thinking and problem-solving, and founded the New England Cognitive Center and the ThinkWell Center LLC in Hartford. She also co-founded Trinity Academy at Trinity Episcopal Church.
Loomis served as an assistant professor at Hartford College for Women, and held adjunct positions at UHart as well as other institutions. UHart and other organizations honored her work over the years, as she received the University’s Alumnus Anchor Award, and the Children's Museum's 2020/21 Youth Champion Award. She was also one of 30 exceptional women featured by Hartford Magazine in 2019.
Additionally, Senator Richard Blumenthal presented her with special recognition for being an early childhood education advocate.
Loomis hoped to make a difference for everyone around her, and loved helping others learn.
“Today’s women students have different challenges in addition to classroom learning,” she once remarked. “We’ve made progress but we are still fighting for important issues, such as women’s rights and equality for all. That’s why I am proud that The Women’s Advancement Initiative carries on the legacy of Harford College for Women and encourages students to take a broader worldview and find their voice. I was very fond of Hartford College for Women and see that it has a future that rests with these young women.”
Loomis is survived by five children (Lucy, of Denver, Ruth of Los Angeles, Alfred of New York City, Charles of Philadelphia and Charlotte of San Diego), nine grandchildren and one great grandchild. She was preceded in death by a daughter Susan (1957) and her husband Worth Loomis (2017).
Services
Services will be held at on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 10 a.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 120 Sigourney St., Hartford. In lieu of flowers, or other durable items, charitable donations can be made in her name to the Trinity Academy or The Women's Advancement Initiative at the University of Hartford.
Further Reading
The Women’s Advancement Initiative. “Giving Back: Louise E. Loomis: Redefining the Art of Thinking.” W December 2020: 10-11. Print.