Marylou (Riddell) Standford

Mary Louise (Marylou) Standford went home to be with her Lord and Savior on December 13, 2020, at the age of 72. She was welcomed into heaven while being treated for the coronavirus at the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, NY. Her family thanks those who cared for her and others who are on the front lines during the covid-19 pandemic.

Marylou was born to Chester and Mary “Lorene” Riddell on January 1, 1948 in Urbana, Illinois. She joins her parents in heaven and is survived by her four siblings, Daniel Riddell of Champaign; Ruth Ann Delporte of Champaign; Heidi Rosario (Robert) of Grayslake, IL; and Mark David Riddell (Wendy) of Vancouver, WA.

Marylou is also survived by her husband, 4 children, and 12 grandchildren. She met her husband of 53 years, Robert “Bob” Standford, at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, where Bob was stationed. They married a year later, on June 24, 1967, and went on to raise their four children in Jamesville, New York: Jerry Standford (Tammie) of Dillsburg, PA; Janna Kulakowski (Mark) of Clay, NY; Julie Ortloff of North Syracuse, NY; and Jill Doire (Scott) of North Attleboro, MA. Jerry, Janna, Julie, and Jill thank mom for all the Js!

Marylou was a dedicated wife and mother; however, it was her 12 grandchildren who held her heart. Allie, Kyla, Alexa, Samantha, Rebecca, Julia, Chase, Joshua, Christopher, Christa, Lilianna, and Matthew loved their Grammie and she took every opportunity to tell them that she loved them to the moon and back.

Before moving to her current home in Sackets Harbor, NY, Marylou raised her four children while working in the cafeteria at Faith Heritage School in Syracuse, NY. She also enjoyed being the baby photographer at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. In 2005, Marylou and Bob moved to Sackets Harbor, where they purchased Bedford Creek Campground and Marina with their son and daughter-in-law. This is where Marylou and Bob have spent the past 16 years enjoying the views of the marina and the birds that visited Marylou’s many bird feeders.

Above all, Marylou was a woman of faith and was dedicated to sharing her Christian faith with others. For more than 30 years, she was a member of the Syracuse and Lafayette Alliance Church in NY, where she served in the kitchen and was a youth group leader. Marylou enjoyed catering church events and spending time with her church family. For the past 16 years, she has been an active member of the New Hope Baptist Church in Watertown, NY. When Parkinson’s Disease began reducing her mobility, Marylou never missed a video-streamed Sunday service and continued sharing her faith on Facebook. Her daily messages of love, peace, encouragement, and laughter brought great joy to her and to her many followers.

Marylou is also known for her love of Christmas, her joy of gift giving, and her love of making and eating desserts! She loved to throw parties and paid close attention to every detail. Her family looks forward to throwing a party to celebrate her life when family and friends can safely assemble. A memorial Facebook page will be used to provide the details of this future celebration. In the meantime, online condolences may be shared at www.clevelandfhinc.com. 

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