Brenda C. Fertitta

Brenda Carlson Fertitta, 80, passed away at home surrounded by her loving family on Monday, Feb. 12. A native of Portland, Maine, she was born on Dec. 18, 1943, to the late Velma Irene Flannery Carlson and John Enar Carlson. She graduated from Deering High School in Portland in 1962 and Peter Bent Brigham School of Nursing in Boston, Mass., in 1965. She worked as a registered nurse for many years, first in Boston and Portland before moving to San Francisco to start a new life and pursue her dreams. There, she met the love of her life, Frank Fertitta, and soon after left the west coast to move with him to Baton Rouge. They married in Portland on May 9, 1970, and she worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Woman’s Hospital for many years. She and Frank raised three children – Allyson, Andy, and Amy.

The daughter of a master carpenter from Sweden, she grew up with her sister Vendela in a house built entirely by their father, including every piece of furniture, which remain in the family still. She loved sharing stories about her childhood summers spent on her grandmother’s farm in Fort Fairfield, Maine. She eagerly sought to know more about her family and cherished the relationships she built with several cousins in Sweden. She and Frank traveled the world together, visiting dozens of countries throughout Europe and North America, especially including Brenda’s family farm in Lulea, Sweden to meet her cousins and Cefalu, Sicily, where Frank’s family began. They made several trips back to San Francisco to see “their city” and to her beloved home state of Maine, where they visited Portland Head Light, the beautiful coast, and ate as much lobster, clams, and fresh blueberries as possible. They instilled a love of travel in their children, taking trips around the country or simply lounging on the beach every year with friends in Destin, Florida. She was a full-time tennis mom and especially loved supporting “the Five A’s” (Allyson, Andy, Amy, and their cousins Arthur Stowe and Ashley Stowe White) in their tennis journeys.

Even after retiring from working, she was always Nurse Brenda to everyone who needed help. She doctored bobos and scraped knees and cared for newborn grandchildren and cousins as well as elder relatives. She spent weeks with her children, nieces and nephews following births and surgeries without hesitation. She was an incredible listener, friend, sister, daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother. She and Frank were happiest when they, as Mammy and Dandad, were with their beloved grandchildren Caroline, Andrew, James and John. She loved her family above everything else and treasured spending time with them.

She was a member of many local social organizations, including Les Jeunes Dames, Junior League of Baton Rouge, La Fiesta Dance Club, and the Mystic Krewe of Achilles, of which she was Queen XLIV in 2000.

She is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Frank Fertitta, as well as daughters Allyson Venugopal (Vineet) and Amy Stephens (Robert), son Andy Fertitta (Dawn), sister Vendela Carlson, and grandchildren Caroline Fertitta, Andrew Fertitta, James Stephens and John Stephens.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate her beautiful life on Saturday, Feb. 17, at First United Methodist Church, with visitation from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by the service at 12:00 p.m. Graveside services will follow at Roselawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (lls.org) or the charity of your choice.