Laura Smith

On October 30, 2016, Laura Jeanette Lord Smith entered eternal rest in her home surrounded by family. Services for Laura will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Leesville, LA. Burial will follow in the Brewer-Smith Cemetery, Simpson, LA. Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 1, 2016 from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM at Hixson Funeral Home in Leesville, LA, visitation will resume at 9:00 AM Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Leesville, LA until time of service.

Laura was born on September 22, 1951 in Lyons, New York. As a child she traveled the country with her parents and brothers living in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Utah before settling in Central Louisiana. Laura graduated from Simpson High School in 1969. In 1975, she obtained her Associate Degree in Nursing from Louisiana State University in Alexandria. In true Laura fashion this was not enough; therefore, she went back to college at Northwestern State University (NSU) in Shreveport where she graduated in 1980 with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Upon graduation from NSU, she received her commission as a Captain in the United States Army where she served two years in the Army Nurse Corps at Fort Polk, Louisiana. It was during this time, that she met her husband of 34 years, Warren.

Laura spent many of her years as a nurse working in various healthcare settings to include: Labor & Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care, and the Emergency Room. Nursing was not just a job for her, it was her passion. She strived to provide the best possible nursing care to all of her patients, and mentored many nurses and other medical professionals during her career. With this love of nursing and vision to integrate quality patient care at a higher level, Laura obtained a Master of Healthcare Administration in 1997 from Central Michigan University. The last 13 years of her career were spent at Byrd Regional Hospital serving as the Chief Nursing Officer and Assistant Administrator.

Laura was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Hazel White Lord and brother, Danny Lord. She is survived by her husband, Warren; three children, Lisa Nichols Yates and husband Noel, Rachel Smith Ward and husband Jerod, and Jesse Smith; siblings, Greg Lord and wife Angelle, Melody Lord Perez and husband Mark, Chena Lord, and Bruce Lord; four grandchildren, Tanner Yates, Marshall Yates, Molly Ward, and Connor Ward; and her beloved pet and companion, Buckley. Pallbearers will be Warren Smith, Jesse Smith, Noel Yates, Tanner Yates, Jerod Ward, and Greg Lord. Honorary pallbearers will be Marshall Yates and Connor Ward.

The family would like to thank Ms. Penny Hillman and Amie Hospice for their exceptional care and guidance during Laura’s final days. Their unique skills were priceless to Laura and her family during this time.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family by visiting Laura’s Memorial website at www.hixsonfh.com