Age 38 of Eagan
On January 20th, 2025, Stephanie Lortie (née Roos) passed away at her home in Eagan, MN.
Stephanie Jean Roos was born July 8th, 1986 in St. Cloud, MN to Steve and Kathy Roos of Annandale, MN. The youngest of three sisters and a multi-sport athlete, Stephanie graduated Kimball Schools co-valedictorian in 2005 and then earned a degree in construction engineering at North Dakota State University in 2009. It was at an open-house there that she met Luke Lortie. The two started dating in their final year of college and were married on October 5th, 2013 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Mendota, MN. After the birth of their first child, Jacob, in 2017, Stephanie made the decision to give up her engineering career. She was overjoyed to be a mother, and her gratitude only grew as she and Luke went on to have three more children: Vincent (2019), Maria (2022), and Louise (2024).
Stephanie embraced life in this new role wholeheartedly and as the years went by, gained an ever-widening circle of friends for herself and her family through her participation in countless social groups and activities – early on there was daily Mass at St. Peter’s; then various mothers associations including St. John Neumann’s, Eagan MOMS, and a spiritual-reading group called Magdalene Moms; later a TEAM of Our Lady with Luke and several other married couples; and later still Corpus Christi Homeschool Co-op, Hidden Life Library, and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at both St. Peter’s and Holy Trinity. And as outgoing as she was, Stephanie poured even more into her home-life with Luke and the kids: she nourished her family daily with healthy, home-cooked breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks and always encouraged outdoor time, insisting like the true Minnesotan she was, “You need fresh air everyday, no matter how cold it is – just dress properly!” She delighted in reading, playing games, and experiencing nature with her children and as they grew older, she took on even more by opting to homeschool them as well. Everyone who knew Stephanie recognized this devotion to her husband, “the love of her life,” and their kids, “each one a miracle.”
Stephanie will also be remembered for her zealous gardening, even in the midst of pregnancy aches and postpartum recovery, and for her impressive collection of indoor plants; for her excitement over new recipes and for the difficult diet changes she made with such good humor; for her continual pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness in all spheres of life, and for her drive to share whatever she found in that pursuit with others – after going out of her way to thank whoever happened to help her find it of course!
“She always made time to keep in touch,” “she had such a pure heart,” “she was so close to God” – these are the kind of oft-repeated praises one hears from Stephanie’s friends and family.
None of us will ever forget Stephanie’s wonderful presence in a room: she exuded unique candor, gratitude, humility, and joy. Nor could we possibly forget what we always felt underneath all those qualities – her passionate love for God. Luke recalls how her deeper conversion began shortly after their marriage in 2013: “Almost 4 years of infertility was a cross that brought Stephanie closer to Our Lord.” Following a series of spiritual consolations and her consecration to the Mother of God in 2016, Stephanie had a profound experience of seemingly miraculous physical healing; she attributed it to Our Lady, conceived Jacob not long later, and never again ‘looked back from the plow’ but dove ever deeper into the faith. Her favorite prayers became the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Angelus, which she prayed three times a day every day and replaced with singing the Regina Caeli during Eastertide. She also loved the Holy Rosary and prayed that most days too. As we mourn this loss, which came so much sooner than anyone but God anticipated, we can turn to these prayers as a means of continuing to be with Stephanie even now and of supporting those she cherished most in this life.
May she rest in peace, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her.
Stephanie is survived by her loving husband, Luke; children, Jacob, Vincent, Maria, and Louise; parents, Steve and Kathy; sisters, Angie (Daniel) Geiser, Anne (Kyle) Schmitz; nieces and nephews, Stephen, Molly, Jazlyn, Caden, Addison, Zander, and Brooklyn; godparents, Teresa and Rodger Carlson; and cousins, Jeremy, Adam, Ryan, Alison, Amanda, Todd, Marc, Jason, Mandy, Megan, and Tony; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Lyle and Jodi Lortie; sister-in-law, Sara (Josh) Peterson; special family friend, Shane Richau.
Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 am Monday, January 27th at St. Augustine Oratory, 408 Third St. N., South Saint Paul, MN 55075. Visitation 3:00 – 6:00 pm Sunday, January 26th at Roberts Funeral Home, 8108 Barbara Ave., Inver Grove Heights, MN, and 1 hour prior to Mass at St. Augustine Oratory. Interment at Church of St. Peter Cemetery, 1390 State Hwy 13, Mendota, MN. Reception at Church of St. Peter’s Heritage Center, 1405 Sibley Memorial Highway, Mendota, MN, to follow interment.