Full Obituary of Laurie Ann Clark

Laurie Ann (Stucki) Clark passed peacefully from this life, surrounded by her loving family on Monday, August 10, 2009 in Lacey, Washington.
She was born in Blackfoot, Idaho to Sylvia and Hardy Stucki 4 Dec 1962. She graduated from Snake River High School in Blackfoot and completed an AA degree at Rick’s College, now BYU Idaho. Laurie worked as a nanny in Scarsdale, New York for 18 months. She and her friend, Jolene Benson, decided to visit the LDS Branch at West Point one Sunday so see if they could meet a few cadets. It was there that she met Gary who was giving his missionary homecoming. Gary’s friend Scott was better looking, the two decided, but Gary reminded her of her father. Laurie and Gary were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple for time and all eternity on the 8th of June 1984. There first home was in Maryland, where Gary attended medical school. Their sons, Nathaniel, Ben and Zach were born during their four years in Maryland.

The Army took Laurie and her family to Ft Benning, GA, on to Dugway Proving grounds, where Abraham was born, then back to Ft Benning, GA. Laurie was diagnosed with lymphoma in her left breast shortly after her return to Ft. Benning and was treated with radiation at Walter Reed Army Hospital. The family had planned on going to Germany after Gary completed in residency in Family Medicine, but the assignments officer decided that Hawaii would be a better choice for Laurie due to her need for follow up for her cancer. It was not a tough decision for the family.
Laurie loved everything about Hawaii—the beauty of the land, the love of the people, and spending Saturdays at the beach. Laurie live the Aloha Spirit and it was with a heavy heat that she left Hawaii six years later. Spencer, Laurie’s youngest son, was born at Tripler, the big pink hospital, in Hawaii. Gary’s job took the family the Washington State and there was a great period of adjustment for the whole family as they went from the warmth of the Hawaiian sun to the colder, darker, rainier environment of Lacey.

Despite the cold, Laurie enjoyed raising her five boys for the next 11 plus years in Washington. In Jan 2007 she diagnosed with breast cancer. She did well after her lumpectomy until October 2008 when Gary came home from Iraq. She was having headaches at that point and was diagnosed in January 2009 with metastatic breast cancer that continued to spread despite chemotherapy.

Her goals for the remainder of her life were to see, Nathaniel, her oldest son, graduate from West Point and get married, see Ben and Zach come home from their two year missions to Panama and Chile respectively and return to West Point, and to see Abraham leave on his mission to the Baltic States. She accomplished each of these goals even as her strength and health were quickly fading.

On Sunday, as her breathing became more agitated, her Father, Hardy Stucki, Gary and Bishop Brown gave her a blessing. With tears flowing from each of their eyes, they released Laurie to return to her Father in Heaven. Laurie became very calm and a sacred peace and joy filled the room for the rest of the evening. She died the next day after Ben and Zach returned home from West Point to be with their mom.

Her short life was filled with great happiness as she dedicated herself to serving not only her husband and 5 sons, but also friends and neighbors. Laurie’s arms were always open and her heart willing as she touched people’s lives with her genuine warmth and caring personality. She is survived by her loving husband Gary; sons, Nathaniel (Sarah), Benjamin, Zachariah, Abraham and Spencer.

Funeral Services: 11am Sat 15 Aug at the LDS chapel, 1602 Ruddell Rd. Lacey, WA

Viewings: Fri 14 Aug 7-8:30pm at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 5930 Mullen Rd.
Sat 10am LDS Chapel.

Internment: 11am Wednesday 19 August 2009 at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Utah