Laura E. Tilton, daughter of the late George and Fannie Redmond, was born in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, in 1926.  Following her marriage to the late William F. McCorry, Sr., she and her family,including only sibling and older brother, Burt Redmond,  relocated to Dayton, Ohio, in 1943.  She and William are the parents of seven children.  She later married the late John O. Tilton in 1974, former administrator and teacher in the Dayton Public Schools System,  who encouraged her as she aspired to a college education.  She graduated from Central State University, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1973, and went on to receive her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Supervision in 1975 from Wright State University.  She taught Language Arts in the Dayton Public Schools for thirty years.

She has been recognized and honored by the Dayton Board of Education for her years of tenure by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation for her accomplishments as an educator.  She served as a teacher on special assignment, assistant principal for one year,  was a two-time nominee for Teacher of the Year; awarded Language Arts Teacher of the Year, and served as a Language Arts Chairperson, and Cluster Leader.  Laura was a devoted member of Trinity Presbyterian Church for seventy-five years, founded by the Rev. Dr. James I. Davis (deceased).  Her church activities included Sunday school teacher,  youth leader, treasurer of her women's circle group, member of the Senior Choir, served on many planning committees, including the first Katherine L. Davis and the Miley O. Williamson Annual Potpourri, fashion shows, and numerous other committees.

Her leisure passions were shopping and traveling. Her greatest joy, however, were her children: Peggy, Vicki, Jerome, Teresa, Eric, Mark (deceased), and Lisa; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She also had those  "special people" who brought that extra joy into her life and to whom she gave special names. This included, Yvonne "BOO BABY" McCorry Dickerson, Michael "DON'T YOU GO IN THE BASEMENT" Porter, Trey "TINKYPOO" Porter, Michael "LEAVE HIM ALONE" Dickerson, Alexis "PRETTY BABY" Wingfield, and Bailee "HUGS AND KISSES" Porter. She is also survived by a special niece and the daughter of her only sibling, Audrey Redmond, Fresno CA.