FOXBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — The New England Patriots announced that Tracy Sormanti, the teams long time cheerleading director and Rhode Island native, died on Friday after a three-year battle with multiple myeloma.
“We are grieving the loss of a beloved member of our family today,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “Tracy Sormanti was one of my first hires after I bought the team, and after nearly three decades, I can confidently say that there was no one more dedicated to her job or caring and compassionate about those she coached.”
Sormanti first joined the organization in 1983 as a Patriots cheerleader. When Kraft bought the team in 1994, he named her as the cheerleading director.
“She earned my utmost respect and admiration for the way her teams always performed, not just on the sidelines, but more importantly as Patriots goodwill ambassadors in our New England communities and on the many Patriots USO military tours she coordinated around the world,” Kraft continued. “She truly loved this organization and we loved her. Her presence will be greatly missed, but she will never be forgotten.”
Over the past 27 seasons, the group has preformed at 10 Super Bowls, visited more than 30 countries and two dozen foreign operating bases on military tours, and made thousands of community appearances.
