Obituary of Deshawn M. LaGurege

Lake George: Deshawn LaGurege, better known as “Mama” or “Mama D”, age 86, passed away peacefully on December 13th, 2020 in her home. She was born to William and Leola Young on August 10th, 1934 in Washington DC. She attended public schools in DC and upon graduating, she moved to New York. Deshawn and her lifelong best-friend Gwendolyn Thomas moved in together and dedicated their lives to raising three boys: Robert, Gerald, and Michael. Deshawn was hard-working and well-rounded, a few of her jobs being as a loss prevention agent, a hairdresser, an employee at Chock Full of Nuts, and finally an employee at Pawling Rubber, where she worked until she retired at the age of 79. When she wasn’t working, Deshawn loved going fishing and visiting with her family; especially her grandfather (Papa Worthington), her brother William (or as Deshawn like to call him, “Gigalo”), and her Uncle Slim at his farm. She also looked forward to her daily talks with her lifelong friend Betty. As a teenager, you could always find Deshawn either at the Blueberry Inn, the Silver Slipper, or Pat and Gigi’s, dancing the night away with all of her friends. One of the proudest moments in Deshawn’s life was when she became a cadet and got the privilege of marching President Eisenhower to the White House. Deshawn is predeceased by two of her brothers and two of her sisters, as well as her best friend Gwendolyn Thomas, and her son Robert LaGurege. Left to cherish her memory are her sons; Gerald LaGurege, his three children and one grandchild, and Michael Thomas, his wife Rachel, and their five children. Deshawn also leaves her brother, two sisters, a host of nieces and nephews, as well as the devoted family of Thomas (Tommy) Mastrodomenico to mourn her. Deshawn’s dedication to her family, her strong-will, her independence, and her sarcastic sense of humor will never be forgotten. She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed by all of her friends are family. Due to the pandemic, there will not be a funeral service, but a private mass is going to be held in the memory of Deshawn. Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guest book and condolences.