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 a.m., Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints, Leesville. Burial will follow in
the Brewer-Smith Cemetery, Simpson.
Visitation will be Tuesday, November 1, 2016 from 5-10 p.m. at Hixson Funeral Home in
Leesville, visitation will resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints, Leesville until time of service.
Laura was born on September 22, 1951 in Lyons, N.Y.. 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. 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 and 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