Laura J. Ussery

Laura Jean Ussery (65) of Fort Collins passed away on December 28, 2024, at home surrounded by her family and her community.

Laura was born on July 13, 1959, in Albuquerque, New Mexico as the second oldest child and first daughter of Richard and Rosalie Hawley.

She loved to sing along to the radio and played the flute in high school. One of her favorite stories about high school was when, with her high school band, she was able to play for Lawrence Welk. She was always so delighted when she talked about how he kissed her on the cheek.

After graduating high school, Laura received a scholarship to attend Our Lady of the Plains college in Dodge City, Kansas. There, she earned her degree as a mathematics education major before returning home to New Mexico.

Once home, Laura worked in roles that allowed her to use her mathematics expertise. First she worked as a planner for a food supplier until 1982. Then, she was hired as a planning technician for Plains Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative. There she met David Ussery, and after some petitioning on his part, was convinced to go out with him. A year later, he proposed to her and she accepted.

David and Laura were married at Saint Bernadette's church in Albuquerque where their children Rosanne and Robert were also baptized.

Laura found joy in her vocation of being a wife, a homemaker, and a mother. Her logical mind helped her navigate taxes, knowing where all the relatives were, and the inevitable stresses and dramas of her children's lives. She always knew where everything was and she always knew when everything was in its place. And she likely had a Tupperware it could fit in.

Tea was her favorite drink, a passion she gave to her daughter. At restaurants, she would shyly ask if they had hot tea, and if they did, her face always lit up when ordering it. When tea wasn't available, she ordered her mother's favorite drink: Coca Cola.

She loved telling the stories and history of the several hundred Hawleys. She not only remembered who was related to who, but also their birth dates and at least one fact about their lives.

Family was Laura's entire world, and she was the connection that kept the heart of the family going. She dedicated her life to her family, both immediate and extended. Everyone knew that if they needed to know where someone lived, when someone was born, where they went to college, or any other detail about a relative, they could go ask Laura.

Her heart was not only big enough for the hundreds of relatives, but also for her community. She tirelessly volunteered at her children's school, helping in the library and with organizing the science fairs. Using her degree to help others, she tutored children in math and volunteered with Catholic charities to help people receive housing and utility assistance.

After Robert and Rosanne had left for college, Laura worked as a verification election judge for Larimer County. She spent close to twenty years in this role, working with other members of the community in this important community service. The last election she worked in was in November 2023.

Always with her husband David and sometimes her children, she loved to explore the world. She traveled to the Holy Land several times, New Zealand, Canada, Poland, and the Catholic sacred sites in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal. She loved showing pictures from her trips and telling the stories she had tried to capture with each shot. Her wonder at the world was inspiring and this inspiration showed through with her skills as a storyteller. With every trip, she brought home the world as a gift with her stories.

Her unending ability to love also showed in her deep and abiding faith. Everyone knew that when she said she was praying for you, it meant she would do so with all the earnestness and love in her heart. Never did she say she would be praying for someone and not mean it. Even when she herself was in deep pain, she always had time to ask God to alleviate the pain of others.

In her place as a wife and mother and grandmother and daughter and aunt and great aunt, Laura was love. We carry her legacy in our hearts and carry it forward as a gift to each other and the rest of the world.

Laura leaves behind a husband, her children, and hundreds of relatives. She would know the exact number.

Vigil and Recitation of the Rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m., Monday, January 6, 2025, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Fort Collins. Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, with a reception to follow. To attend virtually, please follow the livestream link provided: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTYqQ96sVNl3ED-UZFF0eA Laura's Interment will take place at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, January 9, 2025 at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Albuquerque, NM.