Obituary of Mary Lou Tornes

March 25, 2026

On March 25, 2026, Mary Lou Tornes passed from this earth. Mary Lou was born on December 15, 1950 in Columbus, Ohio, the second of 3 children. She is preceded in death by her parents, Norbert and Mary Frances, her sister, Linda, and devoted friend, Roz. She is survived by her brother, Norbert (Linda), nieces, Caitlin Hickey and Molly Vujcevic; and nephew, Kevin Tornes, other relatives of the family and many lifelong friends. Mary Lou was raised in a Catholic household. Upon graduation from St Josephs Academy in Columbus, Ohio she briefly attended St Mary’s Notre Dame College in South Bend, Indiana. She then moved to Houston, TX where she worked and attended the University of Houston. Upon arriving in New York, she attended Sara Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY on a full scholarship, but never graduated due to the onset of her mental health disorder. Her journey in pursuing her degree at multiple colleges and universities was documented in a New Ingenue Magazine article entitled “The Alternative to Dropping Out, Stopping Out.” Mary Lou nurtured many friendships and a faithfulness to do good in the world. She was kind and caring and at one time, a volunteer for the Catholic Worker Movement in NYC and for the Christian Appalachian Project in Lexington, KY. Mary Lou enjoyed all that NYC had to offer: museums, plays, concerts, art and photography exhibits. She developed a community of friends in her SOHO neighborhood, and at Fountain House. Here she found a supportive environment and a sense of purpose through art, poetry and social engagement. Mary Lou’s most abiding gift, and essence of self, was as a poet. From an early age, and until she was physically unable to write, Mary Lou was prolific in verse. In high school some of her works of poetry were published in the Liguorian Magazine. In 2013, she published “I Am Not Afraid,” a book of autobiographical poetry that dealt with themes of love, loss and mental illness. Inurnment of Mary Lou’s ashes will be at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave at 112th St, New York, NY on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 1:00PM. A memorial will follow at V&T Restaurant and Pizzeria, 1024 Amsterdam Ave at 110th St, New York, NY