Laura Marie Mitchell Delatte

Laura Marie Mitchell Delatte, a native of New Orleans, entered eternal rest at the age of 77 on June 24, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born on March 25, 1948, she was the third of seven children born to the union of her parents, Louis and Laura Mitchell. From about the age of 10, after the passing of her mother, she and her siblings were raised, loved, and guided by her uncle and aunt, Herman and Louise Wynne, until they all reached adulthood. Laura was her mother’s namesake, and she was affectionately known by many as Marie. Whether you called her Laura, Marie, mama, granny, sister, nanny, T-Ree, mother-in-law or friend, when you were with her you felt loved and special. Marie was raised in the Catholic faith. Corpus Christi has been her church for her entire life. She was educated in Catholic schools in the city of New Orleans. She attended St. Monica, Corpus Christi, and St. Mary’s Academy, where she graduated in 1966. She was employed by AT&T (formerly Bell South). In her time with Bell South, she served as a union representative. After 30 years of dedicated service, she retired and began her own housekeeping business. Marie was known for hosting fabulous Christmas dinners. The menu headliner for dinner, every year, was her stuffed mirliton. She was the best at making this dish and she was the only person who made it. Beyond the great Christmas food, she made sure that everyone who walked through her door at Christmas felt welcome. Each person would leave with a gift. She would put on a Santa hat and outfit and head to the tree. She would call out each person’s name, in her Santa voice, for them to come to get their gift from Santa. Before receiving their gift, she would ask “Have you been good this year?” and they had to respond before she would give them their gift. This is a big family tradition that will continue forever at Christmas. Truly a matriarch by nature, she was a dedicated mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, nanny, aunt, cousin, mother-in-law, and friend. Her flowing, long, white hair was her signature look, along with that big left dimple and warm smile. She was the boss. She knew it and so did everyone else. Laura was a strong, independent, assertive woman with a great sense of humor. She always had a quick and quirky comeback when something was said. You might try to start something with her, but she was definitely going to finish it. If you knew Marie, you knew where to find her. She was going to be at the casino, in front of a slot machine, sipping on a cold Coke. She also loved playing cards, especially Pokeno and game called in between with her family during the holidays. Raising the ante was her specialty and she would almost always win the big pot. She also loved shopping, whether it was for a new outfit, the perfect Christmas gift, or just something that caught her eye; shopping brought her joy and excitement. Her favorite store was Stein Mart, and she was disappointed when they closed their doors. She had a sharp eye for style and enjoyed finding nice gifts for herself and others. The most special place in her heart belonged to her grandkids and great grandkids. She didn’t consider babysitting a duty, it was her absolute pleasure. She loved them dearly and they loved her. Granny was a title she was honored to hold. She was grateful to God and her two sons, Darryl and Damien, for the gift of making her a grandmother. Her sons were devoted to her, speaking with her every day to make sure she was good. They adored and protected her. The relationship that she had with each of them was a joy to watch. She knew that her sons loved her dearly and she loved them right back. She was a proud mama. Laura is preceded in death by her parents, Louis Mitchell Sr. & Laura Mitchell, her uncle and aunt, Herman Wynne and Louise Wynne, 3 brothers, Louis Jr., Addison and Marcel Mitchell, one sister Mary Louise Combre, and one granddaughter, Giona Santa Maria. She leaves to cherish her memory, her devoted sons, Darryl Delatte Jr. (Tamika) and Damien Delatte (Shakira), 7 grandchildren: Damien Dix, Daniel Delatte, Drew Delatte, Dillon Delatte, Damond Stovall, Dai Delatte and Damian Walton, 2 great-granddaughters, Nyla Santa Marina and Diamond Dix; her siblings, Leah Brown, Michael Mitchell, Peggy Jupiter, Marilyn Magee (Larry) and Kenneth Mitchell, one godson, Gary Jones, her former husband, Darryl Delatte Sr.; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The legacy she leaves is filled with love, laughter, great food, including the stuffed mirliton recipe, thank God she didn’t take that with her; the family fun card games, in which the ante will be upped in her honor, and lastly, her beautiful white hair that can be seen in her sons and her nieces and nephews. Her beauty, great skin, quick comebacks, great food, including a cold coke and a welcoming demeanor, will live on for generations in her bloodline. This is the legacy that she leaves with each of us. Relatives and friends of the family, the family is hosting a Christian Mass at Corpus Christi-Epiphany Catholic Church, 2022 St. Bernard Ave., New Orleans, LA on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 10:00am. Visitation: 8:00am-9:00am. Rosary: 9:15am. Repass to immediately follow in the church cafeteria. Cremation by D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA 70125. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook, share memories and condolences with the family.