Laurel Runyon Grandle

Laurel Grandle, a distinguished Realtor, educator and devoted servant of her community, passed peacefully in her sleep late Wednesday night. She will be cremated and her ashes will be laid to rest near her hometown of Covington, Virginia at a later date.

Born in the mountains of Virginia, Laurel carried with her the grit, faith and generosity of her roots. She earned both a Bachelor’s in History and Political Science and a Master’s in Education from Virginia Tech, where she served as President of the Student Education Association and the NEA Students Chapter among other leadership roles. Her boundless energy and work ethic were evident even in her youth, working three jobs to complete her Master’s in just nine months.

Laurel began her real estate career in 1984 and quickly rose to prominence. Over four decades she built a reputation as one of East Tennessee’s most respected Realtors. Known across Knoxville and Farragut as “Laurel Knows Lakes” she specialized in luxury and historic homes, lakefront properties and relocation. She served as Principal Broker of EXIT Realty Knoxville and worked with RE/MAX Preferred Properties and Ted Frye Realty before joining Omega Realty Group.

Her achievements were numerous. Laurel earned a host of professional designations including Certified Residential Specialist, Graduate of the REALTORS® Institute, Performance Management Network, Accredited Luxury Home Specialist (at one time the only holder of that title in Tennessee), Transnational Relocation Specialist and Historic Home Specialist. She was named REALTOR® of the Year twice by her local Women’s Council of REALTORS®, honored as Tennessee REALTOR® of the Year in 2007 and recognized as Tennessee Business Woman of the Year in 2008. She also served as Past President of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® Knoxville Network.

But Laurel’s true legacy was service. For more than 40 years she fundraised tirelessly for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She was a faithful teacher and leader in every church she attended, serving as an ordained elder, Sunday School teacher and chairing church committees for decades. She was also a passionate supporter of Habitat for Humanity, working on builds in Tennessee and post-Katrina New Orleans and donating a portion of every real estate commission to charitable causes including Habitat, Children’s Miracle Network, March of Dimes, Diabetes Association and more.

She is survived by her loving daughter Nora Anderson and her husband Andrew Anderson, her devoted sister Dorian Miller and husband Dave Miller, her beloved “like a son” Joseph “Joe” Anderson, and her maternal aunt Eleanor Payne of Virginia. Laurel also leaves behind a host of nieces and nephews each of whom she cherished dearly.

She was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Joyce Tyree Runyon and her brother Walter “Lin” Runyon, Jr.

Laurel was a proud and faithful woman whose life embodied service, leadership and love. She touched countless lives with her warmth, her generosity and her unshakable commitment to helping others. She will be remembered not only for her remarkable achievements in real estate and business but also for the way she lived her faith through action.