Richard G. LAPORTE

LAPORTE, Richard G. Passed away peacefully at his home in West Hollywood, California on December 24, 2010. He was 66 years old. Richard was the son of Daniel and Helen LaPorte (deceased), and was preceded in death by his brother Daniel G. LaPorte. He is survived by his brother Dale and his wife, Kathleen LaPorte, of Westlake, Ohio, his sister-in-law, Mary Clare Cullen LaPorte, of Poland, Ohio, nephews Chris, Brian, and John LaPorte, and niece, Alison LaPorte. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Richard received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, form the University of Notre Dame and his Juris Doctor degree from Duke Law School. He was an associate in both the New York and Paris offices of Cahill, Gordon & Reindel before moving to the west coast in the late 1970's to join the legal staff of Wells Fargo Corporation. He became a specialist in commercial and banking law and rose to the position of Associate General Counsel of Wells Fargo before retiring in 1998. Richard's sometimes irascible manner could not hide his keen intellect and a generous and loving heart as best demonstrated by his long-time friendships with his neighbors in West Hollywood and former business colleagues and college and law school classmates throughout the country. He loved politics and college football and was an avid fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. For most of his professional life, he made annual trips to visit his extended family in Ohio, always bringing with him raucous stories of his travels and tribulations. Later in life, he developed a deep love for animals and provided tender care to his two dogs, Duke and Pepper, and three cats, White Shoes, Jaguar, and Abby. A memorial Mass for Richard will be held on Thursday, December 30, 2010 at 10 a.m. at St. Victor's Church, 8634 Holloway Drive, West Hollywood, California 90069. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Animals in Need, www.animalsinneed.net. Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Mortuary (310) 474-1579