Sister DeChantal (Mary Frances) LaRow died at St. Louise House, Albany, New York, on September 6, 2026. Sister was born on October 9, 1926, in Utica, New York, and was one of three children of Leo and Magdalena (Andrae) LaRow. After graduating from Utica Catholic Academy in 1943, Sister earned her BS in chemistry with a minor in math from St. Joseph College, Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1947. She entered the Daughters of Charity from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Utica in December of 1948. Sister completed her MS in nursing at The Catholic University in Washington, D.C., in 1958.
After initial formation, Sister served in Providence Hospital, Washington, D.C.; St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Jacksonville, Florida (where she also served as the as the Local Community Superior); St. John’s Hospital, Lowell, Massachusetts; St. Vincent Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut.; Laboure Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Lourdes Hospital, Binghamton, New York (where she also served as the Local Community Superior); St. Mary’s Hospital, Troy, New York; St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, New York; and St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sister then received a Provincial Assignment as a Councillor in the Province of Albany from 1981 to 1990. This was followed by Board Chairperson and Local Community Superior at Carney Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. After this assignment she went on to the Seton Health System in Troy, New York where she was the Board Chairperson. She ended her active ministry, volunteering at Good Samaritan Hospital in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, New York. She joined the Sisters at St. Louise House on September 5, 2014, and served in the Ministry of Prayer until the time of her death.
Sister was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, and one nephew, Daniel LaRow. She is survived by five nephews, Michael (Cynthia) LaRow of Sudbury, Massachusetts with three grandnieces, one grandnephew, and two great-grandnieces and two great-grandnephews; Mark (Mary) LaRow of Vienna, Virginia with two grandnieces, one grandnephew, and three great-grandnieces and one great-grandnephew; Greg LaRow of Fairfax, Virginia; Andrew (Marion) LaRow of Herndon, Virginia with two grandnieces and two grandnephews; and Timothy LaRow of Reston, Virginia; along with her Sisters in Community.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, September 16 at DePaul Provincial House, 96 Menands Road, Albany, New York. Interment was at St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands, New York.