Laura Avrett McCormick

Laura was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Guinelle Wicks Avrett and James Raymond Avrett on September 13, 1959. She graduated from Tuscaloosa High School in 1977. In 1981 she graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS in Commerce and Business Administration, majoring in Finance with minors in History and Art History. She married Mark Alan McCormick on November 26, 1982, at the First United Methodist Church Tuscaloosa, AL.

During the first years of marriage, Laura moved several times following her husband’s career in the US Navy. During this time, she worked as the manager of a Kinko’s Copies and volunteered teaching enlisted men and their spouse’s financial literacy. In 1988 her first child, Andrew, was born. After this she decided to become a stay-at-home mother. Her second child, Kathleen, was born in 1990. During her children’s years growing up, Laura volunteered at their schools, was their leader in Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, and volunteered at church. After her husband died in 2006, she began working at Kohl’s department store and a Self-storage facility. In 2007 she began working as a GED instructor for Goodwill Easter Seals of the Gulf Coast, where she worked for 15 years. She was named Teacher of the Year in Alabama in 2017 by the Alabama Association for Public Continuing Education. Laura devoted her life to service spending many years volunteering with Goodwill before she was employed there. Laura was incredibly giving, selfless, and was always willing to lend a helping hand. She was beloved by her family, friends, students, and anyone who met her.

She is preceded in death by her father James Avrett, her mother Guinelle Wicks Avrett, and her husband Mark Alan McCormick.

She is survived by her son Andrew McCormick, daughter Kathleen McCormick, sister Angela Tidwell, and her brother James Avrett.

For those that would like to send a memorial, donations can be directed to the National Scleroderma Foundation at scleroderma.org.