Laurie & Bill: Meet the Hatch Family

Written by Seth Stutman
Photos by Lanae Photo

Sponsored by East Village Place

Published in Longmeadow Neighbors (January 2024)

In the same way that the board game Monopoly features famous streets, Longmeadow’s Hatch family has direct descendant of the Bliss, Longfellow, Colton, Chandler, Williams families who settled in Longmeadow and have streets named after them.  For Laurie Hatch, the Longmeadow is a massive part of her past and her family's future.  

“My parents moved to town early in 1945, and I was born in December of that year,” said Hatch.  “I had to move out of town when we were first married as my husband was just finishing up his time in the Army. We lived in a variety of apartments gradually moving back to Longmeadow. I could not wait because I had a 2-year old daughter at the time, and I wanted to get her involved in the school system and other activities in town.”

Laurie, who has lived on Westmoreland Ave. for more than 50 years, was in the first class that went through all 4 years at Longmeadow High School, graduating in 1964. Before that, Longmeadow students ventured into Springfield, and there was absolutely nothing out past the high school.  

“I remember being asked in Elementary School to write out directions to Grassy Gutter Road, and I had no idea where that was,” she said.

Laurie and Bill Hatch have seen their family grow in their decades in Longmeadow.  Their oldest daughter Kathy lives in Springfield with her children Sal and Lucia.  Kathy lives in Springfield with her two children, Sal and Lucia.  Sal works for Amazon as a driver and Lucia is a freshman at Holyoke Community College. Laurie and Bill's middle son Jim lives in Medfield with his wife Misty and their three children, Tyler and Colby, and Megan. Tyler is a senior at the University of Rhode Island, Colby is a freshman at Framingham State, and Megan is a senior in high school. Laurie and Bill's  youngest son Pete lives in Norwood with his wife Cyndi and their two children, Evie, 9, and Abba, a freshman at Westfield University. They also have three grand-dogs which they adore.

Bill and Laurie met on a blind date in 1965, and have been together ever since.  Bill was living in Westfield at the time, and the happy couple enjoyed a few years of summer loving before eventually making their way to Longmeadow.  Laurie graduated from Green Mountain College in 1966 and went on to study at the Cornell School of nursing in NYC. After their children were born, Laurie continued working as a medical assistant, and then made the transition to retail jobs at places like Cock O’ the Walk and Steiger’s, both formerly in the Longmeadow Shops and also So Fro Fabrics and Weight Watchers.Bill was a mathematician and worked in the actuarial field for several insurance companies, most notably, MassMutual for almost 30 years. She remembers the early days of her time as a parent in Longmeadow fondly.  

“All 3 of my children were heavily into sports when they were growing up…my daughter in softball and the boys in soccer and baseball. One of my sons still plays in an adult softball league every once in a while,” she said.  

Laurie is just as well known for her service to the town.  She managed Longmeddowe Days, and last year was the chairman of the new event, the Longmeddowe Fall Festival.  She also has performed for more than 60 years in her church choir and served on countless committees. You may have seen her volunteering during town elections, and she has also been involved in Girl Scouts for more than 50 years.

“I was instrumental in bringing the Girl Scouts back to Longmeadow when my daughter was in 1st grade as there were no longer any troops in town,” Hatch said.  “I did everything from being the town Cookie manager, being a trainer for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western MA, to leading trips, both in this country and internationally. I was awarded the Thanks Badge and then the Thanks Badge 2 which are the highest awards that a girl scout adult can receive.”

The Hatch family also enjoys time outside of Longmeadow, and have been fortunate to travel to places like Alaska, Switzerland, San Francisco, the Caribbean, and Disney.  More recently, their whole extended family of 14 enjoyed a Caribbean cruise.  

“We love to travel. My best memories are spending time together as a family, particularly during holidays and in the summer time where we would spend some time at our favorite camping spot, Pilgrim Pines, in Swanzey New Hampshire,” Laurie said.  “Even though the kids are now grown, we still spend the summer up there; and the kids and grandkids spend some time with us there as well.”

Back in Longmeadow, Hatch feels comfortable and thankful for her upbringing, and how she was able to appreciate the same niceties like crossing guards and sidewalks as a parent.  

“I love the home-town atmosphere that you do not find in many towns. Everyone knows each other, and it is hard to go to a local store without running into someone you know. We are a very close-knit group as we all look out for one another,” she said. “You cannot ask for anything better [than Longmeadow]….the school system is one of the top in the country,” she said. “The Parks and Rec. Department is superb. There are a myriad of sports activities for any age, and extra- curricular activities also sponsored by the library and the Adult Center. The entire cultural trend in Longmeadow is one of relaxation and for the most part, a safe environment in which to reside in and bring up children.”