Mary Lou "Laporta" Tower

ROTTERDAM -Mary Lou (LaPorta) Tower entered into eternal rest on Thursday morning, March 15, at Ellis Hospital after a brief hospitalization, surrounded by her
family and friends.
Mary Lou was born in Schenectady of the late Pasquale "Patsy" and Filomena (Masucci) LaPorta. She graduated from Linton High School and Spencer Business School and worked at various places including the Kirby Vacuum Company, St. Claire's Hospital, New York State Division for Youth, and as an administrative assistant for RJ Tower Financial Services.

She was a lifelong and faithful communicant of St. Anthony's Church and a member of the MS Society.

On April 28, 1962, she married her beloved husband, the late Robert J. Tower, who she had met by chance on a bus, and they had a wonderful marriage of over 50 years. Mary Lou was a woman of faith and fierce courage. She faced her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and progressive illness with good humor and tremendous bravery – never complaining about pain or her lot in life and finding joy in meeting new people, being a great aunt, baking for friends and relatives, shopping, and getting her hair and nails done.

She is survived by her loving sister Cynthia and brother-in-law Robert LaBarge of Nashua, NH, her brother Patrick LaPorta of Schenectady, NY, as well as many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Services will be held on Tuesday, March 20 at 10:00 a.m. from the Rossi &Ditoro Funeral Home, Union at N. Jay Street, then to St. Anthony's Church, Seward Place where a Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Entombment will follow in St. Anthony's Cemetery.

Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the Rossi & Ditoro Funeral Home on Monday from 3:00 p.m.to7:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made in Mary Lou's memory to St. Anthony's Memorial Fund, 331 Seward Place, Schenectady, NY 12305 or to the National MS Society at nationalmssociety.org. For more information please visit www.rossiditorofuneralhome.com .