Ella Annette L'Homme

Ella Annette L’Homme, 91, passed away on January 20th, 2024 in Fuquay Varina, NC due to complications from the flu and pneumonia. She was born in Gardner, Massachusetts on April 11, 1932 and was the oldest of six daughters born to Emery (Ste Marie Kent Nb Canada) and Rena Cormier (Gardner MA). Ella was a devoted, lifelong Catholic and her education was provided by two Sisters for the Presentation of Mary schools: attending elementary at Holy Rosary School in Gardner and then Sisters of the Presentation of Mary in Hudson, New Hampshire for high school. Ella found the love of her life and married Emil A. L’Homme Jr on May 30th, 1952. They had a beautiful wedding officiated by Father J. Charles Gendreeau and held at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Gardner, MA. Ella and Emil cherished 71 years of marriage and were always together. Prior to their marriage, Ella had worked as a phone operator. On some occasions, Emil would place a phone call and Ella would be the operator to patch the call through. Emil would take the opportunity to say hello to Ella. They both were of deep Catholic faith and enjoyed the times when Emil was an altar boy for mass supporting delivery of the Eucharist to Ella (as well as other parishioners). Throughout their years, Ella enjoyed visiting the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, MA and Our Lady of La Salette in La Salette, France. A few years after their wedding, Emil became a soldier due to wars in Korea and Israel. Their family needs resulted in Emil becoming a career soldier. As part of this lifestyle, Ella became a world traveler in ~1954 when Emil was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. As a military spouse, Ella enjoyed two more assignments with Emil to Germany with a child born during each of the three tours. For the last tour in 1964, Ella travelled by plane with six children back to Germany to meet up with Emil. What an amazing woman!! Ella travelled with Emil around Europe enjoying sites such as the Oberammergau; Garmisch; Innsbruck, Austria; Berchtesgaden, Germany; and King Ludwig’s Linderhof Palace. Thelast army tour to Pirmasens, Germany holds cherished memories for many of her children. Other military tours took Ella closer to home in Massachusetts then to Maryland, Florida, and Georgia. In their travels around western Europe, Ella and Emil were overjoyed to be able meet up with some other family members that happened to also be stationed in Europe. After their military travels, Ella and Emil moved back to Florida then to Raleigh, NC; Columbia, SC; Fairfax, VA; Marietta, GA; and then settled in Holly Springs NC for 22 years. In the latter years, Ella needed extra care and lived in Apex, NC, and finally Fuquay Varina, NC. During those five years, Ella received daily loving and dedicated nursing care from her daughter Marie. Ella (and her family) is eternally grateful! Ella was an extremely talented and intelligent big sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She played the piano, sewed baptismal garments for two Catholic churches, loved to play board games especially Yahtzee with her kids and grandkids, cherished playing Scrabble marathons with daughter Denise and Rachel, enjoyed planting flowers with Marie, enjoyed listening to her favorite musicians (Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald), loved the outdoors, and walking. Ella loved to read and even kept a written log of every book she read so not to read one twice. She often had two or three books at home. Ella always treasured family gatherings with her parents and her siblings’ families, and once they were grown, her children’s families!! Ella had a lovely sense of humor and a wonderful smile and laugh. She was always a treasure to be with and is sorely missed! Ella is survived by her husband Emil, 92, six of her children Denise Guastella, Charles L’Homme (Teri L’Homme), Marie Surrency, Albert L’Homme (Deanna L’Homme), Theresa Martin (Bill Martin), and Rachel Dettlaff (Chris Dettlaff); 13 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; and 7 great-great grandchildren. Ella was predeceased by her father Emery Cormier, mother Rena Cormier, daughter Claire L’Homme, granddaughter Christina Surrency, grandson Ryan L’Homme, son-in law John Guastella, son-in-law Bill Surrency, sister Louise Labossiere, sister Yvonne Hoyt, brother in-law Phil Labossiere, brother-in-law Earl Hoyt, brother-in-law Paul L’Homme Sr, brother-in-law Bill Bligh, brother-in-law Russ Case, and one great grandchild. In lieu of flowers, Ella wishes for people to make donations to their favorite charities. Ella’s favorite charities are Food for the Poor and Meals on Wheels. Ella’s funeral will be held at St Andrew’s Catholic Church in Apex, NC on February 1st, 2024. • 10:45am Eulogy by daughter Denise Guastella • 11:00am Funeral Mass officiated by Father John Durbin o Lunch will be served immediately following for family and close friends in the church social hall. • 2:00pm burial at Raleigh Memorial Park officiated by Father John Durbin There will also be a family-only viewing on January 31st, 2024

Ella Annette L'Homme

April 11, 1932 - January 20, 2024