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1924 Lolly 2025

Lauralou Courtney Bates

July 9, 1924 — February 3, 2025

Lauralou Courtney Bates, 100, of West Chester, PA, passed away February 3, 2025. 

Born in Philadelphia to Francis Engard Courtney and Hannabelle Arnold, Lauralou Courtney 

Bates was one of four children. The others—Mary Smyth, “Pete” Courtney, and Belle Schwoebel—predeceased her, as did her husband of 57 years, James E. Bates. A graduate of Germantown High School, Lolly also held Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Drexel University. 

She and Dr. Bates had four children: Susan Courtney Jaren (Mathias), Sara Melanie Bates Hudson (Terry), J. Barrington Bates (James MacKenzie), and Willa Bailey (David). There are four grandchildren (Olav, Allison, Jeroen, and Zachary), and two great-grandchildren (Alby and Anja). 

At a time when most women were not yet working outside the home, Lolly started her own company—Carriage Trade Fashions—operating out of a carriage house at her home in Germantown. There, she custom made women’s dresses for clients that included Mamie Eisenhower and Barbara Streisand.

Prior to that venture, she worked as an industrial designer, creating the iconic shopping bags for department stores Bonwit Teller (bluebells) and C. A. Rowel’s (clouds). During a stint at Scott Paper Company, she helped produce the paper dress. She designed festive vestments for the 300th anniversary of Christ Church, Philadelphia, worn by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and the Archbishop of Canterbury. She also taught at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. 

Hats she designed are now in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Atwater Kent Museum. She also designed clothing for Ship ’n Shore and Gordon of Philadelphia. Her last ventures before retirement were in glass and wearable art.

Lolly had more than thirty-seven years of sobriety, including long-term affiliations with Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Atco, New Jersey, and West Chester, Pennsylvania. 

Her body was donated to medical science, and she will be “teaching med students” at Drexel University’s medical school soon. A Memorial Service will be held at Christ Church in Center City at 11 a.m. on March 4. Interment will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in her memory may be made to Christ Church, 20 N. American St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106. 

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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

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