Mary Lou LaFonte

In Loving Memory of Mary Lou LaFonte, age 95, who died on May 7th, 2024 from injuries sustained in a
fall. She was surrounded by family as she took her last breaths and peacefully passed from this life to
her place in heaven.

Independent and never wanting to impose on others, she gratefully lived in her own home with the
assistance of family members and friends. Mary Lou was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, wife,
mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She was known by many for her positive
and sweet disposition, her beautiful smile, and her kind, compassionate and selfless nature. She also
had a quiet strength of character, intelligence and faith in God that over the years helped her (and her
family who always came first to her) to thrive and to rise above life’s many personal challenges and the
sometimes overwhelming grief of outliving all those very close and special people that passed before
her. Mary Lou touched the lives of many and will truly be missed by all.

She was born Mary Louise Esther Weir on August 6th, 1928 in Indianapolis, Indiana, the second of three
daughters (Jane Ann – oldest and Gloria Lee – youngest) to Kenneth and Esther Weir. Her family briefly
moved to Washington D.C. and then to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. And when she was 8 years old, they headed
west to put down their final roots in Denver, Colorado. Mary Lou attended Ashley Elementary, Smiley
Junior High and East High School (where she became an “East High Angel”). Much to her delight, on
September 3, 2022, Mary Lou revisited her old neighborhood, passed by her childhood home on
Monoco Parkway, and had her picture taken standing in front of each school she had attended, which
are still in use to this day. Mary Lou also attended two years of college at the University of Colorado in
Boulder.

Mary Lou lived an unassuming life, a self-described “wallflower”, who none-the-less had a beauty,
strength and intelligence that belied her gentle façade and won the heart of the “popular kid in school”,
Edward “Ed” LaFonte. They were married in 1952. Mary Lou continued to work at Clutch Exchange in
Denver, until she was pregnant with her first child, Kenneth “Ken” in 1957, followed by Edie in 1959 and
Bret in 1962. Mary Lou and Ed devoted themselves to raising their family with love and attention.
Family time at the dinner table, fun vacations, encouraging good grades, participating in sports, caring
for pets (Great Danes “Rebel” and “Pepper”), teaching responsibility, and offering their children every
opportunity they could to have a better life then they had. When her kids were old enough, Mary Lou
went back to work at McGean-Rohco to help pay for their college educations. Through it all, Ed and
Mary Lou had a close, loving relationship that stood the test of time. And they were both always as
proud as could be of the three children they had raised so well.

Mary Lou started Tole painting and crafting when her kids went away to college. Her beautifully painted
pieces can be found in many homes as yearly crafted Christmas ornaments, welcome placards, pictures
and wall hangings she designed and gave away as gifts. She signed her pieces “Lulu”, a moniker which
stuck in other ways as some of her nieces started calling her “Auntie Woo” and her great-grandkids
called her “Grandma Lulu”.

Once the kids were out of college, Mary Lou and Ed started traveling more. They took cruises to the
Caribbean, went through the Panama Canal, and saw whales and flew in a helicopter up to the Glaciers
in Alaska. They walked and rode bikes and even went white water rafting. When Ed retired in 1993,
they had hoped to travel to Europe. Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be as Ed was diagnosed with
lung cancer and passed away January 19, 1997.

Stricken with sadness, it was fate that Mary Lou found a new friend who had also recently lost a
husband. Josephine “Joie” Carpenter and Mary Lou found they shared so many things in common, and
thus a new door opened and their friendship bloomed. They spend almost every day talking, laughing,
enjoying the comradery of their “lunch bunch” group of friends, and finding new ways to make living
worthwhile again. Mary Lou was so blessed to have Joie in her life. But sadly in 2022, Joie passed away
after promising to “save a spot for her good friend” in heaven.

Mary Lou is survived by three children and their spouses, seven grandchildren, and two greatgrandchildren.
This includes her oldest son Ken LaFonte, his wife Connie, and their children, Patrick,
Rachel and Bryan; her daughter Edie LaFonte and her husband Daryl Sigler and former husband Chris
Bailey; and her youngest son Bret LaFonte, his wife Gayle, their children: daughter Kendra Lamar with
her husband Keegan and their children Henry and Nora; their twin sons Dane LaFonte and his twin
brother Kyle LaFonte with his wife Kimie; and their youngest son Cole LaFonte and his wife Charlotte.
Also, her many beloved nieces and nephews and their families: Eddie & Kelly Newman (TX), Julie & Alan
Schmidgall (AZ), Wendy Zipps (TX), Ivy & Jeff Larson (TX/CO), Matt Newman (TX); and niece Diane Sue
Newman’s family, Bob Burke – fiancée (CO), and her sons Kurt & Amy Rosenthal (CO) and Mike
Rosenthal (CO); her cousin Charlie “Bud” Eberle (IN); and her many special Colorado friends and
neighbors, including Maybelle “Dolly” Davey, a dear friend for over 65 years.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Edward LaFonte, her parents Kenneth and
Esther Weir, her dear sisters Jane Smith and Gloria Newman, her niece Diana Sue Newman, and her
close friend Joie Carpenter.

Celebration of Life Mass will be held at:
Light of the World Catholic Church
10316 W Bowles Ave
Littleton, CO 80127
Friday, June 14th, 2024 at 10:30am
(10:00am Rosary Service for Family)

Service will be followed by a Reception/Luncheon at the church in Lux Mundi Hall.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of Mary Lou’s favorite charities,
The Denver Dumb Friends League (www.ddfl.org) in honor of Mary Lou’s memory.