Hannelore Delay Crotty

Hannelore (Boettle) Crotty, 82, of Sudbury, MA died July 2, 2025 after a bruising battle with cancer. Although at times she left the insidious disease cowering, this feisty fräulein begrudgingly conceded the fight. Born in a bomb shelter during WWII in Karlsruhe, Germany, she was the youngest daughter of Ludwig and Pauline (Schrumpf) Boettle, who lovingly called her their heart-faced baby. Growing up post-war amid the ruins, she witnessed the rebirth of her city. Laurie’s family experienced hardship but forged onward with grace and determination. A highlight of her youth was the train ride to her grandparents’ farm and orchard for extended visits. Farm living honed her exceptional cooking skills and nurtured her love of animals. English lessons in primary school helped paved the way for life in her adopted country.

In her late teens she met and married American serviceman William Linman, moving to his native Chicago and becoming a U.S. citizen in 1960. In 1963 the couple lost their only child at birth; Laurie lost Bill in an overseas jeep accident shortly thereafter. She remained with her in-laws for several years before returning home to her parents. Upon landing at Frankfurt Airport, she locked eyes with American Airline pilot Donald L’Ecuyer. The two struck up a conversation and soon married. Laurie returned to the States, this time residing on Cape Cod. They traveled the country and the world together, with Don often piloting their flights. Widowed a second time in her mid-30s, she ran a small custom drapery and slipcover shop for a few years.

Laurie then unexpectedly crossed paths with John Crotty, a man blessed with rapid fire wit who always made her laugh. While he hoped to impress her with his thrift-store finery, she struggled to mask her horror over the jalopy he drove. When they married, she settled with him in Sudbury and became stepmother to his two grown children. She easily connected with Jack’s extended family and friends, regularly hosting gourmet Sunday dinners and rousing card games with The Gang. Jack and she shared 27 happy years together until the laughter stopped when Laurie was widowed yet again.

For 35 years Laurie worked at The Wayside Inn as a server, retiring only when the pandemic arrived and her health turned. Climbing The Inn stairs while carrying heavily laden trays helped keep her nimble. She also attributed her natural beauty and youthful appearance to healthy eating and twice daily walks. Fiercely independent, she never shied from speaking her mind. She could be stubborn and was sometimes known to complain. Although she lamented forgetting some of her German over the years, she only felt comfortable counting in her native language.

Laurie read her dog-eared Bible faithfully and generously donated to a host of charities. She became an angel to friends and family as their health declined. Laurie also took great care of many furry companions, her babies. Seeing Laurie feed gourmet table scraps to their dogs and copious amounts of peanuts to her backyard squirrels, her neighbors nicknamed her the Disney princess.

She enjoyed listening to German music. She loved entertaining. She concocted the tastiest soups. She savored a nice glass of wine. She was a stylish dresser and tailored her own clothing. She dabbled in watercolor painting. She found solace in her garden. She proved herself incredibly courageous. She didn’t fear dying. She just wasn’t quite ready to go.

Besides her parents and husbands, Laurie was preceded in death by her sisters Anneliese Richter and Johanna Herneisey. She is survived by her stepchildren Kevin Crotty and his wife Linda and Kim Rickard and her husband Stan, all of England; her nieces Linda Collins and her husband Troy of Englewood, FL and Kathleen Laliberte and her husband Andre of Marlborough; brother-in-law Patrick Crotty and his wife Wanda Taunton of Broomfield, CO; close family friend Peter Casello (who was like a son to her) of Bolton; and numerous other nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, August 13th, 2025 at 11:00 AM at the New Town Cemetery in Sudbury, MA. The Tighe Hamilton Regional Funeral Home are honored to assists the family with arrangements.