SUE LAGORIO
Late Assistant Town Clerk
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Late Assistant Town Clerk Sue Lagorio is being remembered for her compassion, empathy, sense of humor and for always going above and beyond to help people.
Lagorio passed away on Aug. 13 at the age of 69. She was born on May 8, 1956 and was the daughter of the late Louis Bruni Jr. of Everett and Lillian Bruni of Chelsea. She was the youngest of four children; her siblings were Thomas Bruni, Stephan Bruni and the late Michael Bruni.
After attending Immaculate Conception School in Revere, Lagorio graduated from Revere High School. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
Lagorio raised her three children, Maria, Pete and Gregory, in Lynnfield. She was very involved with her children’s lives, and often volunteered at school and sporting events as well as with clubs.
“My mom was a stay-at-home mom when we were growing up,” said Pete in an interview with the Villager. “We were really lucky for that. We all played sports and I did Boy Scouts. She was really involved in all of those things. She would come on Boy Scout trips with me, which was always such a surprise because dads would usually go. She had that sense of adventure and loved canoeing down the Ipswich River. She pushed me to become a Boy Scout, and I ended up becoming an Eagle Scout because of her. I got to go to New Mexico, the Florida Keys and all of these cool trips because she pushed me to travel.”
Pete said Lagorio’s 20-year tenure working for the town originated when she started volunteering at the Lynnfield Senior Center.
“My mom started volunteering at the Senior Center because my grandmother who lived with us would go there,” said Pete. “She started volunteering and eventually became the trip coordinator. She was offered the job because she was so involved. She had that job for about 15 years. She loved talking with all the people who came into the Senior Center. We are really proud of our mom’s philanthropy because it led to her career.”
Retired Senior Center van driver Claire Foustoukos said Lagorio was “a one of a kind special friend.”
“I feel blessed to have known Sue for 27 years,” said Foustoukos. “Beginning when our kids were in elementary school to eventually working together at the Lynnfield Senior Center, we built a lasting friendship. She was funny, caring, creative, worldly and truly a joy be around. Sue loved culture and did an amazing job coming up with special trips for the seniors. I enjoyed hearing her talk about parties she hosted, where she polished silver serving pieces, brought out her fine china, cut hydrangeas from her yard and created elegant dinners. She enjoyed traveling, cooking, book club, gathering with friends, and most of all, spending time with her family. I will miss her laugh, her hugs, her stories and our friendship. She was my one of a kind special friend, and I loved her dearly. My heart goes out to her family, who share her zest for life. She is already so deeply missed.”
After working as the Senior Center’s trip coordinator for 15 years, Lagorio was named assistant town clerk four years ago. She succeeded retired Assistant Town Clerk Diane Hammerbeck.
Lagorio became close friends with former Town Clerk Amanda Haggstrom. The two friends first met at Amesbury City Hall after Lagorio moved to the city in 2018 and Haggstrom was serving as city clerk at the time.
“Sue was exactly the kind of assistant every town clerk hopes for — hardworking, selfless, kind and funny,” said Haggstrom, who left Lynnfield in late June after agreeing to become West Newbury’s town clerk. “I always joked with her that she was too nice, but that’s what we all loved about her — she cared about everyone. She was the kind of town employee that, if residents could see how hard she worked, they’d probably voluntarily vote to give her a raise. In 2024–2025, our office tackled seven elections side-by-side. We saw each other more than our own families, and through it all, we became such a strong team. Sue’s presence will be missed by everyone, and I’ll remember her every day.”
Lagorio informed the Villager on Aug. 6 that she missed working with Haggstrom.
Wendy LaRovere, who works part-time in the Town Clerk’s Office, said Lagorio was “special and unique in so many ways.”
“Sue was humble, kind and always smiling,” said LaRovere. “I loved to hear stories of Sue’s heritage and how she shared it with her family and friends, especially cooking and setting a proper table. Never a day went by that Sue would not mention how precious her family and especially her grandchildren were to her. At work, there was never a problem that couldn’t be solved and she always said ‘mistakes can be fixed, that’s how we learn.’”
Election worker Chris Lambe agreed.
“As an election worker, I found Sue to be the consummate professional and an authority on all matters related to the Town Clerk’s Office,” said Lambe. “She represented Lynnfield well in all her dealings with residents on the phone and in-person, and always followed through when needed. She was passionate when registering voters, whether they were first-time voters or new residents. Her pleasant and welcoming manner as well as her commitment to making Lynnfield a better place will be sorely missed.”
Election worker Darlene Kumar said she will miss Lagorio very much.
“Sue Lagorio was kind, funny and smart,” said Kumar. “I treasured our conversations. I always felt Sue genuinely cared about people and her generosity of spirit was visible every day in our Town Clerk’s Office. Sue’s warm and engaging presence will be deeply missed. Sue was a gem.”
Pete said he thought it was “very cool” that his mom went to work for the Town Clerk’s Office because it allowed her to work at elections.
“It was a cool new chapter in her service to the town,” said Pete.
Select Board Chair Phil Crawford paid tribute to Lagorio during an Aug. 21 meeting on Zoom teleconference when LaRovere was appointed acting town clerk until incoming Town Clerk Stephanie Jarosz begins her tenure on Sept. 8.
“I want to send our deepest sympathies and our thoughts and prayers to the Lagorio family,” said Crawford. “Sue certainly was a wonderful member of our staff who will be sorely missed.”
School Committee Chair Kristen Grieco Elworthy also paid tribute to Lagorio during a recent meeting.
“Many of us knew Sue from the process of running for election and being a part of a public board,” said Elworthy. “We are all saddened by this news. Sue was a friendly face for many Lynnfielders for years both at the Town Clerk’s Office and at the Senior Center. Our thoughts are with her family at this time. We are thinking of the Lagorio family and we are grateful for the impact she made on our board and each of us individually over the time we ran for our elections.”
Town Administrator Rob Dolan said he will remember Lagorio for “always smiling and helping people.”
Veterans Services Officer Bruce Siegel worked in the same office as Lagorio.
“Sue Lagorio was such a good person,” said Siegel. “I had the privilege of working in the same office next to Sue for a few years. It was only two days a week, but I knew that as soon as we greeted each other, it would be a good day. She was smart, she was funny, she was classy and she was kind. I was lucky to have gotten to know Sue, and I will miss her very much. May she rest in peace.”
Pete said he, his sister Maria and brother Gregory have all been touched after hearing stories about Lagorio’s impact on the town.
“We are incredibly proud of our mom’s service to Lynnfield,” said Pete. “One of the nicest things to hear at this stage was the people my mom affected that we never met. We did not know a lot of the folks she had worked with, and it has been really nice to hear that she had an affect on other people just like she had on us.”
Pete said Lagorio’s strong suit was her emotional intelligence, which he said allowed her to connect with residents while working at the Senior Center and Town Clerk’s Office.
“She liked people,” said Pete. “She liked hearing about people’s lives, getting to know them and hearing their stories. She was funny, warm, hospitable and had the ability to roll with the punches.”
In addition to working at the Senior Center and Town Clerk’s Office, Pete said his mom also worked as a certified nursing assistant and had a part-time job working at L.L. Bean.
“My mom was a very hard worker,” said Pete.
Lagorio also loved hiking, and she spent three days hiking through Rocky Mountain National Park with Pete and Maria in 2016. She also went on trips to Ireland, Ukraine, the Netherlands, London and Quebec.
“My mom was a world traveler and loved seeking adventure,” said Pete. “She had big plans for retirement. She wanted to go hiking on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.”
In addition to Lagorio being a dedicated and loving mom, Pete said she was a devoted grandmother to her three grandchildren who are five, three and one.
“She was a fantastic grandma to my sister Maria’s three kids,” said Pete. “I have a kid on the way in October, and my wife and I were excited for her to be a grandma for us.”