Lorraine LaCour: 104 years of Grace, Gratitude, and Grit

East Jefferson General Hospital’s rehabilitation team helps beloved centenarian after a fall

Lorraine Armagnac LaCour lived life with style, faith, and humor for 104 years. Born on Valentine’s Day in 1921 in the French Quarter of New Orleans, she grew up speaking French and English and was mighty proud to be the center of attention whenever she got the chance.

She and her late husband, Owen, were one of the longest-married couples in Louisiana. They were together for 80 years until his passing at age 102 in 2020.

Owen ran a tight ship in the New Orleans home where he and Lorraine raised their seven children, not too far from where youngest daughter, Karen Puente, now 65, settled and raised her own family. Owen kept the independent couple on a schedule that included meal times and bedtimes. And, they started a ritual: enjoying a perfectly made martini every single day at lunch. Lorraine kept that tradition until her final days.

In their years together, Lorraine and Owen enjoyed their hometown NOLA to the fullest—always out for a drive or walk. And not once did Lorraine leave the house without her hair done and her lipstick on.

When Owen passed suddenly in 2020, Lorraine moved in with Karen and her husband, Michael Puente, MD, a neurologist at West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero, La., whom his wife calls Mickey.

Lorraine began to enjoy life in a new way. “This was a woman who enjoyed living with us because we let her eat whatever she wanted. If she wanted an extra cookie, she would have an extra cookie. She didn’t have a bedtime. Why did a 104-year-old need a bedtime? We decided to spoil her and she loved staying up late watching movies every night with Mickey,” Karen said. “And she loved watching the Golden Girls, though she would tell everyone she was watching the show because of how much Mickey loved it!”

That being said, Lorraine was a woman of routines. Every Thursday she got her hair and nails done. She loved going into town with Karen, riding around in the family’s pedicab. And she enjoyed her late-night snack – some goldfish crackers and a Coca Cola, “in the glass bottle,” as she would say. It was almost as important as her midday martini.

Lorraine passed on September 29, 2025—at home, surrounded by family. It’s where she wanted to be in the end, Karen explained. Having her dying wish fulfilled was the perfect cap on a life filled with love and faith.

For almost six weeks prior to her passing, Lorraine’s personality touched everyone she met during an extended stay at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, La.

A trip to East Jefferson ER after a fall

Lorraine always wanted to get herself ready for bed. She put her facial cream on every night and loved to brag about the fact that she didn’t have a wrinkle, Karen said. “In fact, I remember this so vividly. We were out having lunch and a man sitting across the aisle from us sent my mom a dessert. Mom smiled at him, winked at me and said, ‘I still got it!’”

On August 12, Lorraine finished her bedtime routine after her evening movie and snack with Mickey. Karen was out of town for a few days, but Mickey recounted the story to her. “He said she had gone to bed and a little while later he heard a thud. He found her on the floor. She apparently hit her head on the night table trying to reach for her walker.”

After an ambulance ride to East Jefferson General Hospital, tests showed a slight concussion but no brain bleed. Lorraine got stitched up and was discharged home later that morning. However, though her fall initially seemed minor, within hours she was back in the Emergency Department at East Jefferson General Hospital after experiencing seizures.

This time, Mickey’s brother, Richard Puente, MD, a gastroenterologist at East Jefferson General Hospital, was visiting with Lorraine and became concerned. He saw that her stomach was distended and ordered a CT scan.

“That’s when they discovered she had a perforated colon,” Karen recalled. “We were told there was nothing that could be done. The doctors decided it was best not to perform an operation on a 104 year old. For the family, it was devastating.”

The ‘very best care team’

Lorraine stayed in the hospital on the acute floor for eight days. Karen said she couldn’t have asked for a better healthcare team for her mother. “Paul, the nurse practitioner on the fifth floor, was amazing. He treated her like she was his own mother. I cannot thank each and every nurse more. They were all wonderful to us.”

Once they made the decision to take her off medications and make her comfortable, Karen and Mickey began to plan Lorraine’s funeral. They notified family and friends from around the country that September 6 — about 10 days later — would be the day. Lorraine always said she wanted New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond to preside over her mass and Karen made sure that was going to happen.

“But she wasn’t ready to go,” Karen recalled. “A week before the day we were planning her funeral, the doctors noticed her abdomen was no longer distended. They did tests and found out her colon had repaired itself! Mom celebrated by eating a whole cup of chocolate ice cream!”

Archbishop Aymond happened to visit Lorraine the following day and said to Karen, “‘I guess we are not having a funeral on Saturday?’ I said, ‘Correct. She just RSVP’d that she won’t be coming!”

On September 6, instead of coming for a funeral, friends and family came to visit Lorraine in the hospital and they all celebrated a cousin’s 75th birthday. “That day was so special to everyone because mom made sure she told each and every person who came that she loved them,” Karen said.

East Jefferson General Hospital’s therapists: No one is too old for rehab

At that point, a decision was made to move Lorraine to East Jefferson General Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). She often told her family she planned to be the longest-living person.

After the fall, “she took on rehab like every other thing she did in her life – with gusto. She knew she wanted to regain the strength she lost after her fall and she did every single thing the occupational and physical therapists asked her to do,” Karen said.

The rehabilitation center provides comprehensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy to help patients regain independence after injury or illness. Patients participate in daily therapy sessions customized to their ability level, with a focus on mobility, balance, and confidence.

“M’Lee Chatelain, mom’s occupational therapist, was absolutely wonderful,” Karen said. “She got my mom standing again after weeks in bed. My mother had lost so much muscle, but M’Lee got her moving and laughing through every session.”

Lorraine quickly became a favorite among staff. Each morning she insisted on putting on her lipstick before therapy.

“She’d tell everyone, ‘You put your lipstick on first thing and go out,’” Karen said, noting her mom had many little sayings she would share with everyone she met.

And she was a very competitive lady. “She loved to tell people her age and took great pride in that. When Queen Elizabeth died, we were watching it on TV. Mom looked over at me and said, ‘Well, I beat her!’ That was her sense of humor. She was sharp and playful until the end.”

The rehab therapists designed a gradual plan to rebuild her strength. She even practiced transfers into her wheelchair, determined to regain her independence.

“Some people say they’re too old for things, but my mom never thought she was too old for anything,” Karen said. “She got up every morning and did her therapy. The team believed she’d walk again with her walker, and she believed them. That faith—hers and theirs—made all the difference.”

Faith, Family, and a Peaceful Goodbye

Lorraine continued rehab for 10 days and then, Karen said, she caught COVID. That’s when the family decided it was time to bring her home to Karen and Mickey’s house. It was September 19.

“We got her home, and I told her, ‘You did it. You beat all those things at the hospital,’” Karen said, noting that by then Lorraine was not able to speak as well as she had before her hospital stay. “She smiled, and two tears rolled down her face as if to say, ‘I’m home.’ We turned on Nat King Cole and listened to mom and dad’s favorite song – Sweet Lorraine.”

Lorraine held on for an additional 10 days during which she participated in the family’s weekly Rosary prayer session. She passed peacefully on September 29, 2025.

Lorraine’s strong Catholic faith guided her through life’s challenges. “Even when Mom was in the hospital, we prayed together,” Karen said. “She had such deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. She always said, ‘God’s will be done, and you have to accept that.’”

A life that continues to inspire

Lorraine left behind a remarkable legacy: seven children (one has passed), 22 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. She was outgoing to all – a bridge player, a ballroom dancer, a Mardi Gras fan, and she loved every moment of her life. She even made the best of her final weeks in the hospital.

“The care at East Jefferson General Hospital gave us time we never thought we’d have,” Karen said. “They gave mom dignity, joy, and friendship. My mother has a joyous spirit. She and my dad loved life. The love they felt for each other touched so many people.

“I know she connected with so many people during her final stay at East Jefferson General Hospital. And, thanks to her doctors, nurses and therapists, mom’s story had the ending she wanted—on her terms, and with grace.”

For more information about physical therapy at East Jefferson General Hospital, please visit:
Rehabilitative Services | East Jefferson General Hospital