Margaret Louise Latora

Margaret L. Latora, age 77 of Portage, died at her home July 28, 2020. She was born August 9, 1942, in Bronx, NY, the daughter of William and Mary Lou (Colbern) Skivington. Margaret graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1960. For over 20 years, she was a daycare provider, and cared for many teachers' children from Portage Schools among others. In supporting her former husband, Margaret was a staple at many Portage Northern sporting events, volunteering her time and cheering on the Huskies. She was later a realtor for Jaqua Realtors. Margaret was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church and sang in the women's chorale.

Her family includes her sons: Anthony (Marci) Latora, Andrew Latora, and Joseph (Ruth) Latora and their father Carl Latora; her grandchildren: Angelo Latora, Dominic Latora, Samantha (Kris) Baker, Mallorie Latora, Gianni Latora, Alyssa (Aaron) Beall and Vincent Latora; her great-grandson Kainen; and several nieces and nephews. Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, grandson Dante Latora, her daughter-in-law Kimberly Latora, her sister Patricia Yonker, and her brother John Skivington.

Wrestling was among her sports passions, and she loyally followed her sons, then grandsons, and all their teammates over a couple decades. Name a town - X, Y or Z - and she knew at least one of their athletes and had no doubt talked somebody's ear off from that town about some tournament or another. She was a big fan of the sport, but always most vocal - and loudest - for the boys from Portage Northern and then Portage Central.

Margaret meant so much to so many people. Her granddaughters posted their sentiments on social media and hit a home run for the avid baseball fan.

Said Mallorie: "I feel luckier than ever that I was named after her and will get to carry a piece of her with me forever. She was our costume maker, our biggest fan, and the most loving grandma anyone could ask for. She was always over the top, and I couldn't imagine her any other way. She was loud and embarrassing and very proud of it. The pride she had in her family was undeniable and she never missed any of the important days in our lives. She called us constantly, unashamed of her love for us and interest in all we were doing."

Said Samantha: "She was our biggest cheerleader, the best costume maker, loudest, biggest pain in the butt ... and she knew it and didn't care. She knew no stranger and would talk to anyone who gave her the chance ... for hours if they let her. She had no filter ... you could never quite know what to expect. I will always think of you and love you. And I know there were several people waiting on you with open arms. We love you Grandma."

A graveside service will be held Monday, August 3, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. at Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park on South Westnedge. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in honor of Margaret to the Dante Latora Foundation. Please visit Margaret's webpage for directions, online guest book or to leave a condolence. https://www.langelands.com