Laura Rogers Fortson

Laura Rogers Fortson, age 101, of Athens, GA, passed away peacefully at home early Wednesday morning, April 26, 2017. She had lived in Athens since 1948 when her husband, Edwin B. Fortson, moved his law practice here.

Laura was born September 15, 1915, to Dr. Jonathan Clark Rogers and Floyd Blackshear Rogers in Demorest, GA, where her father was Dean of Students at Piedmont College before going on to serve as President of North Georgia College and President of the University of Georgia.

Laura’s formative years were rich in interests and experiences. She fondly recalled swimming in Demorest Lake, taking the train to Cornelia for violin lessons, playing on the basketball team, spending summers in Athens with her beloved Aunt Laura Blackshear, and being Valedictorian of her high school class of 13 graduates.

Laura’s interest in music was life-long. In 1936 she was the first Bachelor of Music graduate from Hugh Hodgson’s newly formed University of Georgia Music Department. Later she continued her violin studies at Julliard School of Music. Laura performed with both the University of Georgia Orchestra and the Athens Symphony for many years, and she also helped organize the original youth orchestra which became the present Athens Youth Symphony.

However, Laura’s deepest calling was early childhood education. Having taken classes at Teachers College and Columbia University, she received her Masters in Education in 1957 and her Doctorate in Early Childhood Education in 1969 from the University of Georgia. Laura taught for 18 years in kindergarten and elementary grades, and also volunteered with special needs children.

Combining her passion for teaching children with her love of fine arts, Laura established and directed The Children’s Studio for Creative Activities in the Arts. Her experiences in teaching young children reading and arithmetic using songs, games, and dance led to her pioneering the Creative-Aesthetic Approach to early childhood education. She co-wrote the seminal book in the field, “Early Childhood Curriculum: Open Structures for Integrative Learning.” Laura’s techniques that literally made learning fun have been widely adopted in early childhood education nationwide.

A tireless educator, Laura taught classes at the University of Georgia and gave lectures and workshops across the country well into the 1990s.

Laura married Edwin B. Fortson of Washington, Ga, in 1943 while he was serving in the Navy. After World War Two, Ed first practiced law in Barnesville, GA. When the couple moved to Athens, the law firm that became Fortson, Bentley and Griffin was established. Laura and Ed both were actively involved in numerous Athens civic and cultural organizations through the years. They were faithful members of First Presbyterian Church.

Laura and Ed often spoke of Athens as the perfect place to raise their family, with its combination of cultural advantages and its proximity to the beautiful North Georgia mountains. Their children fondly remember doing homework at Laura’s weekly orchestra rehearsals, as well as hiking and camping out beside waterfalls on the weekends.

Yet even with all Laura’s professional and family activities, she always made time to cultivate and maintain friendships. She was outgoing, had a fine sense of humor, and freely demonstrated her love of people. Happy hours spent in her garden provided bouquets of flowers to share.

Laura Fortson was preceded in death by her husband, her older sister, and her younger brother. She is survived by three children, Mary Fortson Raymer (Dhalonega), Edwin Fortson, Jr. (Grand Junction, CO), and Clark Rogers Fortson (Athens), and by two grandchildren, Tucker Channing Fortson and Lyric Wellborn Fortson.

A graveside memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, May 26, 2017, at Oconee Hill Cemetery. The Rev. Dr. John Kipp will officiate. Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Presbyterian Church.