Mary Lou Ricci

Mary Lou Ricci of South Dennis, MA, passed peacefully surrounded by the love of her family on Sunday, May 11, 2025. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she joyfully reunited with her late husband, Lawrence (Larry) Ricci, with whom she shared an extraordinary love and enduring union for 62 years.

Born in Worcester, MA on November 7, 1936, Mary Lou was the daughter of the late Edward and Alice LaVallie (née Troy) and sister to David LaVallie of Palmer, MA, Diane McDiarmid of Barre, VT and the late Ronald LaVallie of Palmer, MA. She attended Palmer High School and began working at Palmer National Bank upon graduation.

As a child, she demonstrated a caring nature by frequently taking her baby doll for long walks in a carriage. During such an outing, her interest in animals was ignited by a chance encounter with a couple who owned horses. She began caring for and riding horses on their farm. As her talent grew, she began showing horses competitively. Eventually, her father got her a Morgan horse named Queenie with whom she shared many adventures.

At age 19, upon her father’s untimely passing, she lived with and helped support her widowed mother along with twin siblings with whom she shared a deep bond. Throughout her life, she displayed qualities of selflessness, compassion, kindness and generosity. From her Irish heritage, she was a gifted listener and storyteller who offered sage advice while passing along generations of wisdom.

Mary Lou’s life took on added meaning and purpose when she met and married her soul mate, Larry, in 1961. They became parents and built a fulfilling and loving life together. The epitome of motherhood, she was a master homemaker. She cared for and guided her four children, while also managing to sew handmade clothes, maintain a meticulously clean home, prepare gourmet meals—including her authentic Italian dishes—and enhance the aesthetic of her home as a skilled gardener and decorator with a sophisticated interpretation of Early American style. She also enjoyed many hobbies, including quilting, needlepoint, and fashion, often appearing as if she stepped out of a Talbot’s catalogue.

As her children grew older, she went back to work to help finance college tuition and purchase a vacation home on her beloved Cape Cod. She worked for several years at a pharmacy before joining the staff of the Palmer Public Library where she nourished her lifelong love of books while connecting patrons to information and their next great read. She loved working in her community library and treasured the wonderful friends and memories she made along the way.

In retirement, she spent 21 years with her beloved Larry at their Cape Cod home and worked part-time at Dennis Public Library. They shared a love of fine dining, travel, especially Italy, time with friends, and summer days spent with their children and grandchildren on the beautiful beaches of Dennis.

Family and friends will remember her light, happiness and serenity. Her children will cherish thoughtful advice, particularly her principle of encouraging kindness and forgiveness by seeking peace at any price.

Mary Lou will be sorely missed by her children: Lawrence Ricci, Jr. of South Dennis, MA; Lori Kolensky and her husband Rich of Suffield, CT; Gary Ricci and his wife Jane of Brimfield, MA; and Nicole Stonehouse and her husband Jerry of Cohasset, MA. She also leaves behind six adoring grandchildren: Mathieu and Michael Kolensky; Vanessa and Alyssa Ricci; Jackson and Callahan Stonehouse.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on Friday, May 30th from 10:30 to 11:30 AM at Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home, 729 Rt. 134 in South Dennis, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12 noon at St. Pius X Church in South Yarmouth. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Palmer Public Library. To share a memory or online condolence, please visit www.doanebealamesdennis.com