Laurie Jane Wardwell

March 1, 1962 — April 1, 2026

It is with the deepest sorrow that the Wardwell family announces the sudden passing of their beloved Laurie Jane Wardwell. She has left this world and returned to the eternal spirit from which she came. Thank you for the love and memories you shared with her, and with us. Your kindness means everything right now.

Laurie was born on March 1, 1962 in Easton, Massachusetts, where she grew up and graduated from Coyle and Cassidy High School. She later made her home on Cape Cod, the place she loved deeply, and went on to earn degrees from Cape Cod Community College and Bridgewater State University. Barnstable became her community, her roots, and her heart.

Laurie devoted her professional life to the service of others. She worked with dedication and compassion at Perkins School for the Blind and with individuals living with Cerebral Palsy, her career reflected exactly who she was as a person. For many years she was also a beloved part of the Trader Joe's family, where her warmth and outgoing spirit touched everyone who crossed her path.

Despite the many challenges life brought her way, Laurie met the world with an open heart and a generous spirit. She was the kind of person who remembered your name, made you feel seen, and left you feeling better. Her empathy was not something she performed, it was simply who she was, woven into every interaction and every relationship she built within her cherished community.

Among the causes closest to Laurie's heart was Cape Abilities Farm, a beloved Cape Cod organization dedicated to providing skills training and meaningful employment for individuals with disabilities, while serving as a community hub for local, sustainable farming. Cape Abilities Farm creates jobs for individuals with disabilities while offering organic and locally grown food, plants, and gifts to the community. In Laurie's eyes, this was not only a farm, but a place where people are seen, valued, and given the chance to thrive. It represented everything she believed in.

Laurie found joy in the simple, beautiful things. She loved Cape Cod deeply, all its seasons, windy wildness, and salt air. She was passionate about nature and wildlife, cooking from scratch, sourcing local foods, and tending her garden. Family gatherings were among her greatest pleasures, and she poured love into every one of them. Her two beloved fur babies, Ursula and Noel, were close companions and brought her immeasurable joy.

Laurie is survived by her father, Wayne M. Wardwell Sr.; her sisters, Julie A. Wardwell and Sara B. Steiner; her brothers, Mark S. Wardwell and Wayne M. Wardwell Jr.; her nieces and nephews, Heather J. Pooler, Joshua Wardwell, Tyler Wardwell, Summer Wardwell, Gavin Steiner, Alyssa Steiner, Leah Steiner, and Christian Steiner and step sisters Linda Ortenzi, Shelly Ortenzi and Caryn Ortenzi.

She was preceded in passing by her mother, Marlene A. Smith, her brother Neal A. Wardwell, and her nephew, Matthew Wardwell.

Laurie will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. The world is quieter without her laughter and profoundly shaped by the warmth she so effortlessly shared, yet the love she gave so freely lives on in every heart she touched.

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Celebration of Life

A celebration of Laurie's life will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Doan, Beal and Ames Funeral Home, located on West Main Street in Hyannis, Massachusetts. A burial will follow at Lothrop Hill Cemetery on Route 6A in Barnstable, Massachusetts.

All who knew and loved Laurie are warmly welcome to join the family in honoring her memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Laurie's memory to Cape Abilities Farm at www.capeabilitiesfarm.org — an organization that embodied her belief that every person deserves the chance to belong, to contribute, and to be valued.

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