Mary Elizabeth Latour

Born in Beverly to the late Margaret and Frank Harrigan. Mary lived in Lynn her entire life and attended St. John the Evangelist School in Swampscott and Lynn English High School. She then went on to graduate from Salem State College where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education.

She taught in the Lynn Public Schools for over forty years, proudly the first kindergarten teacher in the Lynn Public Schools. She loved her students and was always happy to see them.

She was a proud mother of Kristine and her work as the Director of Essex County Juvenile Court Clinic. Supporting the kids and families in Lynn, like her parents and daughter. She was proud that her granddaughter Kasey went on to become a special education teacher at Breed Middle School and loved attending her yearly science fair.

She never missed a game, meet, awards, ceremony or activity. To all who knew her she was Ninny. And if you called her Ninny (Nana Tour), you were one of her grandchildren as well.

She was active for many years in Lynn politics and read the Lynn Item cover to cover each day. She remained active with her retired teacher friends and enjoyed their lunches, Union Christmas parties and friendship. She remained involved with sodality at St. John the Evangelist Church, the parish where she grew up, and was a member of St. Pius Parish in Lynn.

She loved dearly her friends, Alice and the Late Kenneth Curtis and their children (Kenny, Michael, Colleen, Brian, Mark and especially her goddaughter, Meghan, their spouses and children). She loved spending every holiday with the Curtis Family and even the raucous trivia games. She loved her adventures in North Conway with her dear friend, the Late Carole Ruggiero, affectionately known as CC. The two were Kasey’s biggest fans. She also enjoyed her cousins’ dinners with her O’Keefe cousins and celebrating all their birthdays.

Ninny loved the company of her cats and leaves behind her cherished cat, Boo. She will also be sadly missed by her grandcats who will have a few treats in her honor.

She is survived by her daughter Kristine Latour Kennedy and her favorite son-in-law, John, who took great care of her, and her granddaughter Kasey Kennedy, her pride and joy.

She is predeceased by her husband, Frederick Latour, her parents, Margaret and Frank Harrigan and her dear friends Kenneth Curtis and Carole Ruggiero.

Mary’s visitation will be on Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at St. John the Evangelist Church, 174 Humphrey Street, Swampscott. Her funeral Mass will follow at 10:00 AM. Burial will be in Swampscott Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, we think it would be a fitting tribute to purchase school supplies or backpacks which we will donate to the students in Lynn.