Laura Barlow

Bristol, RI - Laura Balzano Barlow, 95, of 111 High Street, Bristol, RI, died on January 18, 2011 at St. Elizabeths Manor after a short illness.She was the wife of the late Charles T. L. Barlow to whom she was married for 47 years. Born in Bristol on September 14, 1915, she was the youngest daughter of the late Francesco and Adelina Iervolino Balzano.Mrs. Barlow was a lifelong resident of Bristol. A 1933 graduate of Colt Memorial High School, she served as class secretary and convener for her class reunions for years. During and following World War II, she worked for the Department of the Navy as a secretary to the base director in Newport. Following her marriage she became a fulltime homemaker, renovating her home in the historic district and decorating it with her handmade braided rugs. Extremely proud of her Italian heritage she mastered the art of Italian cooking and entertaining for her family and friends. She was an avid reader and with her husband, traveled the world. Mrs. Barlow was a member of the Swansea Quilting Club for more than three decades, and a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. She was a communicant of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church where, for many years, she attended daily morning Mass. With her husband, Mrs. Barlow was an active benefactor of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH where they established an endowed scholarship for needy students and where a student residence was named in their honor on the occasion of their 45th wedding anniversary. In addition to her dear husband and parents, Mrs. Barlow was preceded in death by all of her siblings: her brothers, T. Thomas, I. Frank, and Michael J. Balzano; and her sisters, Ida Balzano, Gemma Balzano DuPont, and Eleanor Balzano DeFelice. Mrs. Barlow is survived by a number of cousins, nieces, nephews and their families. Calling hours are respectfully omitted. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 141 State Street, Bristol with burial to follow at St. Marys Cemetery in Bristol.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Charles and Laura Barlow Scholarship Fund, Saint Anselm College Advancement Office, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102-1310.