Laura Mary Pirlo, 104, of Ontario, CA died peacefully at Las Colinas Post Acute on Monday, September 21, 2020. She was born on May 8, 1916 in Buffalo, NY to parents Ettore and Rosetta Fusani. Laura spent much of her youth surrounded by her many brothers and sisters.
Laura always knew she wanted many children like her mother, being a mother was her greatest joy in life. She bore two sons from her first marriage, Ronald and Richard Smithmeyer.
On October 7, 1940 she happily remarried Reno Pirlo, the love of her life. Together they shared five children, Sharon, Nancy, Louis, James, and Denise. At the age of 41, Laura and Reno moved the family to California, settling in La Puente. She loved being a stay-at-home mother and taking care of the home and children.
She was known for her fantastic Italian cooking. Everyone especially enjoyed her chicken and polenta and Italian cookies. Her daughter, Denise Jordan, recalls, “I remember coming home from school and my mother had desserts made from scratch waiting for us.”
She had a passion for singing and dancing around the house. Her children and grandchildren share many memories of singing and dancing with her. Her granddaughter, Angela Rodriguez, shared, “My Grandma and Grandpa would put on my favorite record and watch my brother and I dance for hours. I always felt like a star when my Grandma and Grandpa clapped and cheered for us after our performance.”
Laura always welcomed family and friends into her home with open arms. They were always treated like royalty in the Pirlo household. She was known for her stunning blue eyes and perfectly curled blonde hair. She enjoyed looking her best in heels and luxurious jewelry. Everyone who knew Laura would say her sense of humor was uncanny. Laura’s granddaughter, Susan Gutierrez, states, “She had an infectious laugh and was able to capture the whole room with her jokes.”
After her children got older, Laura and Reno retired to Victorville, CA. They enjoyed going to Stateline casinos to gamble. Laura was always lucky on the slot machines. After Reno’s passing in 1998, Laura settled in Rancho Cucamonga, CA near her youngest children. There she fancied playing cards and Loteria with her friends. She taught all her grandchildren how to bluff a losing hand. Her granddaughter, Katie Navarro, remembers, “Grandma Pirlo showed me how to play 5 card stud,” Katie says, “her and I would stay up late playing for dimes.”
She spent her final years at Las Colinas Post Acute where she shared her sassy personality with all the staff and residents. Activity director, Michael Alosa, states, “Laura enjoyed when I sang “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes” by Dean Martin on her birthday. I am not a singer, but when I sang to Laura she would sit there fascinated and I felt like I was a singer just because of her.”
With her health declining in the last few weeks, family members travelled from far to visit her. Seeing so many family members near and dear to her heart brought an unforgettable smile to her face.
Laura is survived by her daughters, Sharon Thacker (Harold), Nancy Birdsong (Sam), and Denise Jordan (Dale); her son, Louis Pirlo(Laura); her daughter-in-law, Liz Smithmeyer; her son-in-law Pete Serrano; her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Reno Pirlo; her sons, Ronald Smithmeyer and James Pirlo; and her grandson, Reno Pirlo.
A celebration of life will be planned at a later date when the family can gather in California.
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