Louise Raguso Shulman

Obituary for Louise Raguso Shulman

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news about the passing of our wife and mother, Louise Raguso Shulman on December 9, 2025 at the age of 79.

Louise was many things to many people in her lifetime, but most of all she was deeply committed to her family, friends and her faith.

Louise was born on April 5, 1946 to Louise (Strafaci) and John Raguso in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. As a young girl she took an interest in arts and crafts, later becoming skilled at sewing, needlepoint, knitting, flower arrangement and so much more. As a young woman she traveled throughout Europe and became a lover of art history and antiques. She was always very proud of her work and wore many hats throughout her career, from running an antique shop in Brooklyn, to working as an assistant treasurer at the Bank of New York, to serving as a medical assistant at Commack Pediatrics, where she became an even more familiar face in the community, as well as making alterations as a side project during her retirement.

While she experienced heartbreak as a young woman, her best friends introduced her to the love of her life on a blind date in the early eighties. She would later marry that blind date, Michael Shulman. They were married for 43 beautiful years and had two children, Laurie (41) and David (39), whom she loved fiercely.

She moved to Commack in 1985 and became very involved in the community and her church, Christ the King. She served as a religion teacher for nearly a decade, as well as a member of the Ladies Auxiliary and regularly participated in Mass as an Usher.

Louise was someone willing to go above and beyond to help or provide care to whomever needed support. If you ever needed an alteration on a dance costume, you just had to make the call. If you needed instructions on how to make a quiche, she had you covered. She loved being around people, sharing stories and being of service.

While her life was filled with several ups and downs, Michael was her constant support. He kept his vows to love and protect her at all costs, from cancer diagnosis to a 10+ year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. No one could have loved her more deeply.

Louise is survived by a devoted family, which includes her husband, Michael, daughter, Laurie (and husband Ryan) and son, David (and wife Danielle), as well as her brother, John (and wife Francine), brother-in-law, Tony, and sister, Sophia. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Noah (9), Hannah (3) and Madison (3), as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Louise, her twin sister, Lucille, and many other friends and family members, whom she kept alive in her stories and prayers.

We hope that everyone remembers her the way she was before this devastating disease – for her smile, her kindness and her love. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association of Long Island.