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Eleanor LaTorre

Eleanor “Ellie” LaTorre of Madison passed peacefully on May 21, 2024, following a brave battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Ellie was born on Aug. 22, 1940, to Dick and Marie Lanza in Waterbury.

Her strong sense of family began here as her childhood was rich in aunts, uncles, and cousins. As a child, she loved visiting her dad and six uncles after school at their grocery store on East Main Street, Waterbury. She graduated from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford as a registered nurse.

Ellie married Benedict LaTorre on Thanksgiving Day, 1961. Ben and Ellie’s own family bloomed quickly, with four children in six years. Their marriage was a beautiful love story lasting almost 60 years until Ben’s passing in 2021. They grew a business together, skied, golfed, played tennis, cooked together, and traveled extensively, making friends everywhere they went. Most recently, they wintered in Palm Desert for 15 years. They lived an enviable, full life with zeal.

The heart of their lives was their home and family. The house was perpetually abuzz with immediate family, extended family and friends whom they viewed as family. The moment you walked in the door, there was a plate of something wonderful presented to you. Christmas Eve and 4th of July were special holidays, steeped in traditions.

Ellie was involved with many community activities: Madison Newcomers, Madison Country Club, and St. Margaret’s Parish, and she co-coached the first girls’ recreational softball league in Madison in 1973, where they won the championship. Ellie had three distinct careers away from her home. She was a nurse, ran the office at the family business in Guilford, and in her final iteration, she was a social worker at the VA in North Haven and Middlesex Hospital in Middletown. Still, her most cherished titles were Mom and Mimi.

Ellie is survived by her children: Benedict Jr.(Jean), Lynne Laberge, Richard (Lianne) and Lauren Osterling (Kyle); her grandchildren: Casey, Jack (Rose), and Luke LaTorre, Maslin and Marly Laberge, Bella and Livi LaTorre and Nick and Leah Osterling; a great-grandson, Jack LaTorre Jr.; her sister Ginny Palios; and beloved niece and nephews. In addition to her husband, Ellie was predeceased by her granddaughter, Mia Laberge, and her sister, Marie Daniele.

Her family wishes to acknowledge the exceptional care given to Ellie by her many caretakers over the years: Maria, Awina, Marta, Tessa, Carolyn, Rashida, and Judy, just to name a few! Also a big thank you to the wonderful support from the many nurses and aids at Hospice of Connecticut, including an honor guard nursing ceremony bedside honoring her nursing career.

A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, at St. Margaret’s Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison. A private burial is planned at a later time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Ellie online at www.parkinson.org or by mailing a donation to Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131, in memory of Ellie.