Lauralee Cotturone
September 15, 1944 - January 31, 2022

A longtime resident of Rochester, NY, Laura passed away on January 31, 2022, after living in Georgia for nearly ten years. Laura is predeceased by her husband, James Cotturone; brothers, James McIntosh & Kenneth McIntosh. She is survived by her children, James (Jennifer) Cotturone Jr., Mark (Michelle) Cotturone, Debra (John) Warren; grandchildren Jessica, Jeremy, Tyler, Connor, Evelyn, and Benjamin; sister, Sylvia (Ravo) Root; brother, Scott (Donna) McIntosh; many nieces, nephews & cousins. Laura also cherished her many dear friends both in New York & Georgia.

Laura's life story will be shared during her visitation at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane (Between 390 & Long Pond Rd.) Sunday, March 20th, 10-11 AM, Her Funeral Service will begin at 11:30. Her interment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to ALS Association, 1300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209 in Laura's memory.

Laura was born on September 15, 1944, in Corning, NY. She was welcomed into the world by parents Virgil "Mac" McIntosh and Marjorie I. McIntosh. At the time of her birth, however, her father was serving his country overseas in the US Army under General Patton's command.

After WWII, her dad became a welder, then a foreman, then a general foreman for Ingersoll Rand in Painted Post, NY. He loved leadership roles and assumed them in every organization he was part of. Marjorie was a secretary at Ingersoll Rand when Laura was born and spent the rest of her working career as a secretary at an elementary school. She learned how to skillfully can fruits and vegetables from her mom and learned the importance of family and hard work from her dad. Laura was blessed with four siblings: Sylvia McIntosh Root, James McIntosh, Kenneth McIntosh, and Scott McIntosh. As a child, Laura attended a one-room schoolhouse for an elementary school in Hornby, NY, complete with a potbelly stove in the center of the classroom and outhouses! She went on to graduate from Northside High School in Corning, NY. After that, Laura completed beautician school and achieved her NY State License. During her time in the workforce, Laura was a hairdresser, a Special Education Teacher's Aide, and a Technical Education Specialist. In fact, she was one of the first Teacher's Aides to help teach the use of computers and programs in elementary schools. She excelled at using computers and passed that knowledge onto those around her. In her free time, Laura enjoyed cooking, baking, scrapbooking, and genealogy projects. She was a member of the Catholic Church, the Scrapbooking Club, and the Quilting Club.

One day, Donna Cotturone (Genier) introduced Laura to James "Jim" Cotturone. The pair had their wedding on November 13, 1965 - the start of a marriage that would last over 52 years. Laura and Jim were a great team, positively changing each other's lives for the better. Jim's mother, Millie, showed Laura how to cook Italian food. Laura would wholeheartedly embrace Italian cooking and it became a centerpiece of family life. They had three children: James A. Cotturone, Jr., Mark A. Cotturone, and Debra L. Warren. The family spent lots of time at the little league baseball field and at the hunting camp in Wellsville, NY. Together, they made treasured memories in nature and around the campfire.

Laura extended her love and care to animals, too. She welcomed numerous pets into her home including dogs Stoney and Manfred, cats Rainbow and Mike, and beloved dog Porter (who now has joined Debra and John's family).

She had many close friends throughout her lifetime. In her 20s/30s, Laura befriended Kathy Camacho and Connie Iacopelli. They spent time together raising their young children, as well as playing scrabble and euchre. Later in life, Laura loved scrapbooking and cooking with friends Dina and Judy Marannuchi.

Laura spent much of her retirement going on trips to the South, including Orlando, Hilton Head, and Georgia. In 2012, she relocated to Gainesville, GA to be closer to Debra and her family. After her move south, Laura made even more friends who enjoyed cooking, quilting, and games (most notably Mahjong and cards).

Laura loved the music of the 1970s, especially Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, and the Bee Gees. She was an avid NFL fan, especially as she got older. Not only did she watch football - she was excellent at fantasy football, too. She won numerous trophies and even won the family game this past season! During the holidays, Laura loved setting up her Christmas villages. These are just a few of the things that brought Laura joy throughout her life. Most of all, though, she was passionate about cooking. She had a sign hanging up on the wall of her kitchen that read, "Cooking is love made visible", a favorite saying of hers that she truly lived by.

Her life had many beautiful moments and blessings, but Laura experienced hardships, too. After she was diagnosed with lupus, Laura found herself dealing with several other related conditions, including colitis and chronic pain. She experienced severe discomfort and inconvenience in her daily life because of these illnesses, but she never gave up on living the life she loved. She was extremely strong and dedicated to being there for her family even when it was difficult.

Family and genealogy were some of Laura's main interests. She spent hours researching family heritage, documenting it, and reaching out to unknown family members she had learned about. She left behind detailed genealogical family history books with the details of a final project she wanted to complete before her passing. Laura grew up in a Scottish/Irish home, married a full-blooded Italian, and became engulfed in the Italian way of life. She was fully dedicated to her family and put their needs above her own for many years. She made an impact on hundreds of young lives when she worked in an elementary school and was always quick to lend a helping hand to anyone in need throughout her life. She was the "rock" in her family and served as the "north star" no matter where life took her loved ones. For these reasons and so many more, Laura will be deeply missed. She was a great wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend to many.

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