Laurie Jean Chancellor

“Your absence has gone through me like thread through a needle. Everything I do is stitched with its color.”
- the poet W.S. Merlin

An animal lover, traveler, crazy-pajama wearer, amazing listener, and haiku admirer, Laurie was most of all, one of the kindest and loving people we know. She passed away at home surrounded by family on October 2nd after an 11-month fight with pancreatic cancer.

Laurie was a loyal daughter, sister, aunt, god-mother, colleague, and dear friend. Born June 15th, 1969 to Kathleen McNiel and Scott Chancellor, she grew up in Salt Lake City, and Heber, UT with her siblings Troy and Calla Chancellor and a large and extended family. Ever the middle child, Laurie was the caretaker and glue to our family, which includes her beloved nieces Holly Steinmetz, Crystal McLaughlan, and Cielle Ellis, nephew Mark Chancellor, and great nephews Tommy and Matty Steinmetz and great niece Hazelle McLaughlan. She was also a proud god-mother of Josie Blomquist.

Laurie attended grade school in Salt Lake City and high school in Heber City before graduating from the University of Utah in Psychology and minoring in Chicano Studies. While she worked full time and attended school, Laurie started at AiQ where she worked for over 20 years with truly wonderful colleagues, many of whom she connected to like family.

Friends and family will remember Laurie’s love of animals and Harry Potter books, her infectious laughter, memorable t-shirts, and the Halloween and Bunco parties she and her mom loved throwing. But above all, Laurie is remembered for how she treated people. Laurie was always extremely kind, caring, and generous to others, whether it was family, colleagues, or strangers. Helping others genuinely made her happy and she actively looked for opportunities to do so. She was an amazingly good listener! She had the ability to make people feel seen and heard, always accepted, and never judged.

Laurie cared deeply about helping animals, a characteristic shared with her mom. In addition to the many spoiled cats and golden retrievers (always strays and rescues) she supported the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT with her time and money as well as other organizations, most recently a motherless kitten nursery.

An avid reader, she often shared a haiku that she loved, which made it that much more interesting. When writing, she relished finding just the right word. And playing a word game with her? Good luck. She appreciated art of all kinds and visited lots of festivals and museums, her favorite of which was the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. She was often drawn to art with florals and animals and Van Gogh’s flowers were some of her favorites. She explored her own creativity by meditating through watercolor painting, dabbling in some pretty cool needlepoint, and writing her own haiku. She found inspiration for haiku widely - from her stinky golden retriever Belle to a motorcycle ride with her brother Troy in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Laurie loved traveling and always did so with curiosity to learn about the places and people she visited. She could be equally fascinated by evening herons on Whidbey Island, WA as she was by Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) or the view from the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. She loved her traveling buddies: cousins Chris and Mike Bodily and her best friend Jennifer Willis-Blomquist. And, she loved spending time with her family, often visiting her sister Calla and her family where they explored Washington and California or road tripping to Sturgis, SD and Mount Rushmore with her brother Troy.

To say that Laurie connected our family is an understatement. We miss her greatly. And we recognize that all of us – new and old friends and her work family – had a special relationship with Laurie and will miss her in our own ways. Tempering our grief is our gratitude for knowing her and the many gifts she shared through her quiet strength, generous spirit, and kindness.

All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what anyone supposed, and
luckier.

-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

A Celebration of Laurie's life will take place from 6-7:30PM on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at The Chateau at The Rose Shop, 1910 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South) in Sandy, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the Celebration from 4-5:30PM at Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary across the parking lot from The Chateau at 1950 East Dimple Dell Road (10600 South) in Sandy, Utah. Casual dress is requested and encouraged for both portions of the Celebration services.