Freitas, Laurinda, 1925-2013
Dates
- Existence: 1925 (date of birth) - 2013 (date of death) - 2013
Biography
Laurinda Luiz Freitas was born July 19, 1925 in Corning, New York, one of four children of Theodore Luiz and Bella Comosh. Freitas grew up to contribute to the local glass industry. She began her schooling at St. Mary’s School in Corning, but finished in Madeira, Portugal before returning to Corning to work for Hunt Glass Company.
Freitas worked at Hunt Glass Company primarily as an engraver. She also instructed apprentice cutters there before setting up her own home shop when Hunt Glass Company closed in 1973. The cutting lathe for her home shop came from Hunt Glass Company and was made by Hortons Machine Works in Elmira, New York. Unfortunately, there are no known records that document Freitas’s glass education. Her cut glass pattern designs highlight her talent for creative design and sketching in addition to engraving and cutting.
Laurinda Freitas was married February 12, 1949 at St. Mary's Church in Corning to Antonio (Tony) Freitas, who worked as a gaffer for Steuben Glass. Freitas’s sister, Mary Luiz, also worked for Corning Glass Works for more than 20 years. Freitas actively kept in touch with her family members in Rochester and Corning and enjoyed gardening, hosting family gatherings, cooking, and singing.
Freitas died January 24, 2013.
