Laura was a strong woman, courageous and self-assured, determined to see her goals achieved.. She was laser-focused on what was important to her:  her family, her culture and her immediate surroundings. She revered her grandmother, who began to teach her about Abruzzese cooking when Laura was still a child.
She earned a degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, and worked as a chef in the high-end catering business.  But that was just a foundation for her life-long study of Italian regional cooking:  from-scratch homemade pasta and sauces, using only the finest ingredients. Frankly delicious.
She loved music:  the pure Blues of Billie Holiday; the bluesy guitar work (that could seamlessly morph into pure rock) of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan; and the category-defying eclectic work of Bob Dylan and (her favorite) Joan Baez, who once said something that could have been Laura's own mantra:  "I've never had a humble opinion.  If you've got an opinion, why be humble about it?"  That pretty much defined Laura's belief system.
She loved her garden:  her hydrangeas, her day lilies, her climbing roses.
She had a succession of feline companions:  Baby, Nikki, Precious, Lexi and finally Sienna, who was with her over 13 years.  But her truest love was her Standard Poodles:  her sunlight and warmth in Winter's cold and snow; cool playful zoominess in Summer's heat; comfort in times of sadness, congenial company when life was good.  Chloe was first and best, she ran Agility and lived with us almost 15 years.  Her half-sister Jackie is with us still, almost seven years old.  They could always make her smile.
She is survived by her husband of 33 years, Stephen; daughter Kimberley Strayer and her husband Matt; son John Tormey and his wife Jennifer Rossi; grandchildren (in chronological order) Deaglan Rossi-Tormey, McKenna Strayer, Francesca Rossi-Tormey and Damon Strayer; brother Frank Carotenuto and his wife Sheila; sister Margaret Hassett and her husband John; nephews Michael Diego Carotenuto and Sean Hassett with wife Maribel and son Liam.