Dorothy LaFortune

It is with heavy heart that I tell friends and family that my mom passed away peacefully Thursday evening. She was 91 and led a full life. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Bernard LaFortune. She leaves her only daughter Deb and Son-in- Kevin Morse of Marstons Mills, MA, her three granddaughters, Sarah Walker and her husband Alex of Gardner, MA, Jessica Ohanian, her husband Eric and their daughter, Evelyn, of Canton, MA , Kaitlyn Morse and her fiancé Sean Sterrenberg, living in Santa Fe, NM.

She was a strong amazing woman until the end. For 43 years she worked for the phone company working her way up from an operator to clerk. When she retired, she had not taken one sick day in 43 years! She was a hard worker and instilled that work ethic in me and I have passed that on to my daughters.

She was married to my dad for 62 years. Raised me, an only child, but then played a huge part in helping Kevin and I raise our daughters.  My parents came every weekend to help us without fail. My dad used to say that the triplets were keeping them young. Mom was an amazing cook and baker.  Everything from scratch! Her Thanksgivings were a masterpiece. I will try but will never be able to come close to duplicating them. 

She was well-traveled. She and three friends traveled to Peru, Australia, the Canary Islands, New Zealand, Italy and more. My dad wasn’t a traveler, but they did bus tours to Pennsylvania to the Byer Caroler factory, (I do not exaggerate when I say she has hundreds of those dolls!} They traveled out west to and did a Canadian Rockies trip. Went from Sioux City into Canada, toured Calgary, Baniff and Lake Louise.

Mom and Dad were on a bowling league for years with a group of good friends. They enjoyed dinners out with them often and annual cookouts.

Mom also loved to play the slots!! She and a friend took the bus from Gardner to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun often. For many years, we spent a week in Lenox going to Tanglewood. Aside from her trips, Mom was more of a homebody, a simple woman who took pride in her home, cooking and family. She loved just taking local drives to her favorite farms to get fresh fruit and vegetables with dad or her friend. One of the last joys of her life was meeting her first great-granddaughter.  Even the week before she passed, when we brought Evelyn to see her, her eyes lit up, she held her hand and just smiled. Over the past 2 years, I watched as Dementia took her from us a little bit each week. Mom will be missed by us so much, but I truly am sure she is with my dad now and at peace.

Services are being planned for September 29th at Mack Family Funeral Home in Gardner. Visitation hours 10:00 am – 11:30 am, followed by a funeral service at the Funeral Home and burial at the Veterans Cemetery in Winchendon where she will be laid to rest with my Dad. Luncheon to follow.