Laura Evans Smith

Surrounded by family and love, Laura Evans Smith passed away peacefully on October 26, 2025 in Redding, California. She will be remembered for her joy, deep faith and commitment to the people she loved.

Laura (Laurie) was born on October 31, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas to Ferd Edward Evans Jr. and Donice Schwein Evans. She graduated from Wichita Southeast High School in 1969 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Development from Kansas State University in 1973. Like her mother, Laurie was a sister in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

Laurie’s faith in God was the guiding light in her life. She moved to Oklahoma in 1977 for a position as the Women’s Leader in Insight Ministries, an organization that ministered to college students. She married Scott Smith in 1982 and together they led an Insight Ministries chapter at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana until they relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1985. They had three children: Nathan, Hannah and Evan.

Laurie was passionate about education. She earned a Masters of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University in the late 1970’s. In 2004, she earned a second Master’s degree in Library Media and Information Technology from Northeastern State University.

Laurie was a beloved teacher to many children, including her own. She homeschooled her kids and taught in their classrooms at the Ahava Community School and later at the Bread of Life Ministries homeschooling cooperative. She could often be seen with a stack of children’s books, tucked into her bag or piled nearby, ready to be shared with others. Her passion for teaching and reading came together when, in 2001 she accepted a job as the teaching librarian at the Mayo Demonstration Center in Tulsa Public Schools, where she taught until 2014.

In 2014, Laurie and Scott moved to Cape Town, South Africa to open a MASICORP Math Instruction Teaching Lab in the township of Masiphumelele. In Cape Town they continued to inspire young minds and spread the gospel of Jesus. They did this until health issues required a return to the U.S. in 2018.

Laurie lived in Redding, CA with Scott from 2018 until the end of her life. She completed two years in the Bethel Ministry School and then became a volunteer pastor for the Bethel Online ministry school.

Laurie’s life was rooted in a deep love for others and a joy that came from genuine connection. She cherished her family and was a loyal friend. She nurtured friendships everywhere she went and thrived in community. She co-led a Bethel woman’s core group and was very involved with several other groups, always eager to support and encourage those around her. You could often find her at one of the local coffee shops offering warmth and wisdom to women of all generations.

Laurie is survived by her husband, Scott William Smith in Redding CA; her son, Nathan Edward Smith and his wife, Savannah McAnally in LA, CA; her daughter, Hannah Margaret Smith and her partner, Benjamin Kaufman in LA, CA; her son Evan William Smith in LA, CA; her brother Evan A Evans in Boulder CO; and her sister Emily Evans Taylor in Denton, TX.

Two memorial services are planned:

A service will be held in Redding, CA on Saturday November 15, 2025

at 1 PM at the Bethel Twin View main auditorium, 936 Twin View Blvd, Redding, CA 96003.

A service will be held in Tulsa, OK on January 24, 2026. Location and time TBD.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to Hattie’s House. In 2021, Laurie was flown to Sutter Hospital in Sacramento for a double heart valve replacement. Hattie’s House provided Scott and family with a beautiful apartment very near the hospital, which was a great support during a difficult time.

You can make donations directly on their webpage: https://www.hattieshouse.org.