A trailblazer in the legal arena, Kathryn Venturatos Lorio, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, law professor and dean, peacefully passed away on July 19, 2020, after a valiant five year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born of Greek descent on February 15, 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where her family was temporarily residing and returned to New Orleans in 1962. Her Greek heritage and Greek Orthodox religion played a central role throughout her entire life. Serving as both Homecoming Queen and Valedictorian at Ben Franklin High School, Kathryn began her life-long legacy of forging the path for women. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Newcomb College where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Magna Cum Laude with Distinctive Honors in Political Science. In a class of less than ten women at Loyola Law School, she graduated 6th in her class of 138 students and served as case-note editor of the Loyola Law Review and on the national moot court team. Kathryn met her husband, Philip Donatien Lorio III, in law school and they were married in 1974. They had two children who later graduated from Loyola Law School and are now local attorneys. After briefly practicing law at Deutsch, Kerrigan and Stiles, Kathryn found her true passion and began teaching civil law at Loyola Law School. Throughout the course of her forty-year tenure as law professor, Kathryn developed an expertise in the developing arenas of assisted reproduction and end of life issues, demonstrating her unwavering devotion to family. She served on the Louisiana Law Institute for many years, drafting legislation in these fields, and authored the Louisiana Civil Law Treatise on Donations and Successions. Kathryn served as assistant and interim dean during her years at Loyola Law School. She received countless awards including the 2000 Michelle P. Wynne Professionalism Award, the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Professor of the Year Award in 2003, the 2005 Dux Acedemicas Award for Best Faculty Member of Loyola University, and the 2019 St. Ives Award for being an outstanding Loyola Law Graduate. She was also named the Leon Sarpy Professor of Law in 1992, the first chaired professorship endowed at the University. A professorship was endowed in her name in 2019. Due to her love of Greece, she taught for Tulane’s summer study abroad program there for many years and later assumed the role of director of the Greece program for Loyola Law School. She also taught at Loyola’s study abroad program in Vienna, Austria, which was enhanced by her husband’s position as the Honorary Counsel of Austria. Her contributions to society are not solely in the legal arena. Kathryn served on the City of New Orleans Ethics Review Board from 2007-2010, the Board of Trustees of Trinity Episcopal School from 1998-2001, president of the New Orleans Consular Corps Auxiliary from 1994-1995 and was highly involved in the Greek Orthodox Church. In her later years, her focus shifted from the law to her beloved grandchildren who fueled her five year fight against pancreatic cancer. She is predeceased by her father, George Stellios Venturatos, and her mother, Aphrodite Bon Venturatos. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Philip Donatien Lorio III, her daughter, Elisabeth Lorio Baer (Jason), her son, Philip Donatien Lorio IV (Megan), and her four grandchildren, Carter and Caitlyn Baer and Bennett and Eleni Lorio. She is also survived by her brother, Steve George Venturatos (Carol), and her sister, Billie Venturatos Andersson (Paul), numerous nieces and nephews, and Helen Lorio, her mother-in-law and BFF. Services will be private at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral due to the pandemic. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Kathryn’s name to the Kathryn Venturatos Lorio Distinguished Professorship at Loyola New Orleans College of Law (contributions sent to 7214 St. Charles Avenue, Box 909, New Orleans, La. 70118) or the Cathedral Montessori School (contributions sent to 9 Fortress Road, New Orleans, La 70122).
The family understands that due to the COVID-19 virus restrictions, home visits and other traditional condolence expressions cannot be shared at this time but appreciate online messages at www.lakelawnmetairie.com.
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