Obituary of Laura Arble Massaro

Laura Arble Massaro passed from this life on May 6, 2013, at the age of 99. She was born May 5, 1914 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the youngest in her family of seven children. Laura was also the first in her family to go to college, obtaining a two-year teaching degree from Shippensburg State Teachers College at the age of 19. She earned her bachelor's degree from Penn State in 1942 after many summers of coursework while teaching grades 1-8 during the school year. She was later awarded a masters degree from Temple University. Laura lived in Philadelphia and its suburbs from 1943, the year she first married, until shortly after she and her second husband retired and moved to Port Charlotte, Florida. Laura was a devoted mother and teacher. In addition to her own daughters, whom she reared alone for the nine years of her first widowhood, she helped rear her youngest stepson from the age of nine. She was active in the United Methodist Churches of Fairless Hills and Port Charlotte, and was an enthusiastic member of her local, state, and national professional organizations. She loved to travel, visiting Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Italy, Germany, and Greece. Her only regret was that she never got to see Australia. Laura made many friends in Port Charlotte and was active in the Cultural Center of Charlotte County. She made cloth books for babies there as a charitable activity and loved to paint, leaving many lovely paintings behind with friends and relatives. Laura lived at South Port Square in Port Charlotte for about 24 years. In 2011, Laura moved to San Antonio to live near her eldest daughter. She impressed all who knew her with her active mind and lively interest in politics. She stayed in touch with the many treasured friends she acquired over her entire lifetime. Laura's greatest interest, though, was her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Laura was preceded in death by her parents, George E. and Laura Sarah (Bartley) Arble, all of her siblings, her first husband Charles E. Reynolds, her second husband Nicholas A. Massaro, grandson Robert N. Conard, and many dear friends, including Ella and Rocky Dattola. She is survived by daughters Mary M. Potter and husband Danny of San Antonio, TX, Catherine L. Reynolds of East Liverpool, OH, and Jane E. Reynolds of Vista, CA; stepsons Patrick A. Massaro and wife Arlene, Nicholas F. Massaro and wife Barbara, all of Langhorne, PA, and Robert L. Massaro and wife Mary of Allentown, PA; grandchildren Jacob A. Moorad, Ben J. Moorad, Suzanne M. Potter-Padilla, Laura J. Conard, Charles C. Conard, Jennifer L. Conard, Catherine P. Conard, Angela J. Incollingo, Joseph J. Drake, Matthew C. Drake, Janene Massaro Raisman, Connie Massaro Wright, Debra Massaro Harvey, Denise Massaro Dugan, Nicholas Massaro III; and 25 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on June 29 at the Town Hall Building of South Port Square, 23023 Westchester Blvd., Port Charlotte, Florida. Arrangements are by Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematory, 9400 Indian Spring Cemetery Rd., Punta Gorda