Loretta (Lou) Jourdan, 89

Loretta (Lou) Jourdan, 89, passed away after a short illness, July 5th where she lived at Edna Tina Wilson Living center in Rochester N.Y. Her granddaughter, Katie Lagnese, was by her side as she passed.
Lou was born in Tupper Lake in 1927 to Herbert and Beatrice Kentile.  She attended Tupper Lake schools and worked at the OWD.  She married Thomas Jourdan from Brooklyn N.Y.  He was a patient at Sunmount, when it was a veteran’s hospital.
Shortly after their marriage they lived in Brooklyn for five years, where Tom attended school to become an X-ray technician and Lou worked in the hospital cafeteria.  With that certificate in hand, they returned to Tupper Lake where Tom returned to Sunmount as an employee this time. 
Lou had various jobs in Tupper Lake besides being a homemaker. She was a teacher’s aide in the elementary school when it was part of the high school and the job she held the longest and retired from, was as a cafeteria server in the High School.  She loved the day-to-day chats with the kids and enforced extra vegetables on anyone who gave her lip.  Over the years Loretta enjoyed family get togethers and the perpetual exchange of Tupperware containers. She often talked of an exercise classed she attended.  From the sound of it there was more talk than exercise and that was the point.  She also enjoyed visits and trips to Rochester to see her daughter; Arlene and grandchildren; Nick and Katie.
Lou cared for her mother Beatrice Kentile in her last year of life with gracious help by her nieces; Cherie Roy, Cindy Kentile, Barb Casagrain and Mary Beth Roberge as well as High Peaks hospice. 
In 2009 she moved to Rochesterto be closer to her daughter and her family and lived at Fleming Point,  an independent living facility.  She enjoyed the meals and daily activities there and was in the middle of everything. 
Her favorite activity was balloon volleyball which was always was followed by trash talking and debating the score.  Being so close to family meant she had Sunday dinner with her daughter every week and was on hand with the birth of all three of her grand-children: Max Lagnese, Lily Lagnese and Zack Lagnese. As her health became poor, she moved to Edna Tina Wilson Living center, a beautiful facility with many daily activities.  Here the staff regularly recalled stories to her daughter of the various things her Mom said.  The time spent working in the cafeteria had trained her well.  She always had a quick comeback and a smile on her face.
She had various health challenges and steamrolled right through them always with family on her side.  Finally in the end, it seemed she picked her time and a minor infection claimed her life.
She is survived by her brother: Herbert (Bucky) Kentile, her daughter Arlene Jourdan and boyfriend Steve Majewski, her grand-son Nick Nettleton and wife Erin, grand-daughter Kate Lagnese and husband Matt and three great-grandchildren: Maximus, Lilyana and Zachary Lagnese.
She was predeceased by her father, Herbert Kentile, mother, Beatrice Kentile, brother, Richard Kentile and sister, Arlene Campbell.
Calling hours were held  Monday, July 11  at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral home, followed by mass at St. Alphonsus Church.   Burial was in St. Alphonsus cemetery.
The family request no flowers, but instead if you feel you must, a donation in Loretta’s name be given to various organizations in the Tupper Lake area:
High Peaks Hospice that helped out when she cared her mother, Meals on Wheels that graciously provided meals for her mother Tupper Lake Volunteer ambulance who transported both Loretta and her husband Tom when they needed it and of course the Tupper Lake Fire Department, which thankfully they never had to call.