Laura Duran

When Laura Duran walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Laura was and how she impacted those around her. Laura was a clever and caring person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. Laura wanted the most out of life and wanted the same for her loved ones. She was tireless in her efforts and had a kind heart. Everyone was drawn to her personality and beauty.

Laura was born on March 17, 1997 at Humboldt General Hospital in Winnemucca, Nevada. She was the daughter of Santiago and Laura Duran. Always ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. Her friends and family understood well that Laura was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Laura was raised with two siblings. She had two older sisters, Evelyn and Yesicka and an aunt that loved her like a daughter, Cecilia. Laura was very accepting and supportive of her family and spent most of her time with them. She brought joy and harmony to the family. These traits served Laura well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Laura was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Laura was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. In her spare time she loved swimming, being a true Pisces fish at heart. Laura had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she had.

During her high school years, Laura responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Rancho High School in 2015. Laura was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Laura absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Laura, school often became just an extension of playtime. Classmates considered Laura a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Laura will be remembered for finishing a pre-med program and receiving her CMT certification.

Laura did well in college, as a result of her comfort level with tackling new theories and her love of learning. Laura was a dedicated student and was pursuing a career in nursing. She was in her third year of college at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). Laura was very adaptable, a quality that helped her make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Laura was very focused on what would have been her nursing career. She knew that she wanted to be a traveling nurse because it combined her two favorite things. She chose this field because of her compassion and deep concern for others. Even those she barely knew.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily, which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Laura could be very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Laura was easy to know and demonstrated attentiveness for all. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, Laura and Brenda, her niece were inseparable and always had a mischievous look. Later in life, she became friends with Bianca, Kimoni, Josh, Emii, Kareem, Andrea and many others from school.

Being a full time student, Laura did not have a lot of spare time but she did not mind volunteering at the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), in the medical tents. Laura was inventive and worked well under pressure. In a group environment, her peers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Laura had numerous interests but her favorite way of spending her time was going shopping to the mall and going out to eat. But truthfully, what she loved the most was spending time with family and friends. Laura had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Laura's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Laura's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Laura enjoyed amusement parks. One of her favorite trips was to Universal Studios in California.

Laura Duran passed away on November 9, 2018 at Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. Laura courageously fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her father, Santiago, mother, Laura, and her siblings, Evelyn and Yesicka as well as Santiago Jr, and Celia. Her memory will continue to be cherished by her large extended family and many close friends. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Laura. She was a dynamic, smart and the most unselfish person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and humorous, and for all was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Laura Duran for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Laura was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones. Her smile and caring heart is what will be missed the most.