Laura Lee Crowley
May 2021
Our precious Laura; so strong, so brave, so giving. We miss your
beautiful heart. Laura was the oldest of seven siblings, joining her younger
brother Zachary, at the gates of Heaven. We are sure he was waiting for
her, arms outstretched as she arrived.
Laura had a warm, endearing personality. With her golden smile and
concern for fellow human beings, she lit up a room and always the main
attraction. Everyone loved Laura that is for sure, as she made many, many
friends over the years. She was always thinking of other’s needs, often
putting them before herself. Her many selfless acts did not go unnoticed, but
she was never aware of this. That is just like her.
Laura was an avid animal lover and frequently begged to take in strays
as a young child. The house was always full of “guests”. But her love of cats
surrounded her life with the little critters. Her kitty loves-Xiu Xiu, Llasa, and Belle, may they rest in peace, were her life. Stella and Pilot are still
around and with her mother now, safe, happy and mischievous as always.
Laura was vivacious and full of life, never missing an opportunity for
an adventure. Hiking, kayaking, yoga, whale watching, road trips, and
baseball games were her favorite past times. Her love of the Angel’s was
well known in her circle of friends and her family often teased her for being
such a crazed fan. Bikram Yoga was a huge part of her life. It helped her to
balance herself as she navigated through her life. A yoga instructor from
Cincinnati State says Laura was extremely talented and gifted. She was also
an avid athlete and participated in high school Jr. Varsity, and Varsity swim
and water polo teams. She also did Club swimming as a child. She was a
talented musician, teaching herself nine different instruments with little to
no instruction. Her only regret was she did not learn piano like Thomas. She
performed in concert and marching band during middle and high school. She
attended and graduated Edison High School, Huntington Beach Class of
1999. She experienced fond memories from competition seasons with the
Charger Marching and Concert Band; it was one of the highlights of her life.
She gained many friends during those days. Laura was an intelligent and
studious student, often reading five books in one week, which was not
unusual for her. Laura was a skilled and accomplished writer and would write
in notebooks from back to front because she was left-handed, something she
did since a toddler. Laura attended Chapman University, Golden West
College, and graduated from Cincinnati State.
Laura earned her degree in Culinary Arts/Business at Cincinnati State.
She worked so very hard for her degree and was proud of herself for her
grand achievement she would say, even if no one noticed. She was a
professional chef, but her acquired talent for Shushi became her focus. In
the world of Sushi, women in the field are nearly unheard of. She did not
let this stop her however, and did not give up, no matter the struggles.
Working hard to perfect her craft, she expected excellence from herself and
those around her. She made many customers happy, often asking for her by
name-they will not forget her. One of the greatest joys in her career was the
relationships she built with her colleagues, especially Paulina and Stan. She was dearly loved, respected and admired by them all. However, she
would always say they that taught her to endure the difficult environment of
the restaurant business, supporting along the way. She would say, “My coworkers made me a part of who I am today”.
Most important to Laura was her family. She loved them more
intensely than most people do, as they were constantly on her mind. The
excitement she had for her new nephew Bennett was undeniable. Her face lit
up when she was with him, and nothing else mattered at that moment. She
would say that Bennett was special, as she loved him so dearly; she couldn’t
imagine a world without him. She loved her Bennett and often plotted to
“steal” him away.
Laura had a unique relationship with each one of her siblingsJennifer, her special Nicholas (Nick), Elizabeth-Lizzy (Bennett),
Zachary (preceded in death, 2011), “Baby” Andrew, and the
youngest, her Thomas (Tom Tom). They were dearer to her than
anything that existed on the planet. She helped to raise her siblings, keeping
them safe and looking after them. She sacrificed much, putting them before
herself. She never expected anything in return, never complaining. She has
said her brothers and sisters were the loves of her lives, and often felt their
emotions, happy or sad, as they were journeying through their lives. She
was always sorry after she made them mad, even if they didn’t know it. She
watched them graduate, join the military, go to war, have accidents, marry,
have babies, buy new cars or homes, and suffer through tragedy, loss, and
struggles. She was genuinely ecstatic for all of their achievements and
devastated for them during any hardship. Her only hope was for them to be
proud of her too. She hoped that so badly. She felt immense pride for them,
even if she didn’t verbalize it often. She had a special bond with each of
them; they always knew they were loved. Laura’s special cousin Rachael, were like sisters to each other. They shared years of adventures, fun
experiences, life lessons, sisterly love, tragedy and loss. They loved to
attend Angel games, often up to mischief before, during, and after the
games. Laura was there always, no matter what and no doubt that love still
lives in Rachael’s heart. Laura also has an aunt, a special aunt-Aunt Jody. She loved her aunt immensely and once worked with her on the Navy base
in Seal Beach when Laura was young. They shared the good times as Aunt
Jody scooped her under her wing. Aunt Jody was there throughout Laura’s
life journey as well; good times and bad, just like a mother.
Laura’s stepfather, “Big Andrew” was a big presence in Laura’s life in
recent years. Laura grew to have a fond love for Big A as she would call him
for short, frequently phoning him for advice for the smallest and biggest of
things, or just to talk. He always solved the problem and made her feel
better after a call. He also loves her cats-especially Stella! Laura loved him
dearly. Laura had a unique, lasting, and beautiful bond with her mother,
Mari. It was obvious when those two were together they were most likely up
to no good. The experiences, triumphs and tragedies were unforgettable as
they kind of grew up together. They had an undying love for each other that
only God is a witness to. They were so much alike yet so different,
complementing each other, but standing by one another to the end. Their
mutual love and respect for each other never wavered. Help or laughter was
always on the way when one of them beckoned the other. They knew each
other like no others knew them in the family, sharing secrets and all night
“text fests”. Video calls during season premiers, planning birthdays for a
sibling, whirlwind road trips through NorCal and Nevada, endless Angel
games, beach times, cruises, or going to casino were their most special
memories. The loss is well….tremendous for both.
Laura recently expressed to her mother in the last few months, her
feelings about God. She was praying the Rosary every day and going to
church on Sundays when she could. It was apparent that this was changing
her for the better and she felt His presence. She was feeling loved by God
and was happy to “come back home” she said. It brought her peace to know
that she was following her goals of accomplishing these things. He made her
a better person she felt. One of the last photos was of her holding up a
religious medal for the camera that she was wearing around her neck.
Some of her last words: “I love the sparkle of the sun on the Pacific Ocean”.