Laura loved the outdoors and in recent years enjoyed exploring the upper reaches of Maine where my parents have a lake house. She enjoyed the solitude and the wildlife. Her illness made travel very difficult, but she was adamant that we make one more trip in August of 2022. She spent time canoeing and kayaking and reading on the deck, and every night she watched the sun go down from the dock.
From Laurel Laporte-Grimes
Oh my gosh. I am so grateful we have all these pictures. Laura Palumbo was definitely always up for a good adventure (driving around in the dark with no street lights on windy curvy roads in the middle of nowhere looking for somewhere to watch a meteor shower immediately comes to mind) and good energy was ever in abundance. And the thing about Laura was that she was one of those rare people who truly lifted you up, not by being self-effacing or falling back on vague truisms, but because she genuinely and authentically believed in the very best of us all. And because of this, more often than not, we rose to the challenge and became our best selves with her. Because when someone can look inside you and see the best of you, how can you resist letting that best self out to play? Love you dearly, my friend. Now and forever.
Good Energy
I just wanna go on more adventures. Be around good energy. Connect with people. Learn new things. Grow.
I found one other downloaded quote on Laura’s phone, and while I recognize that it’s a fairly popular one, it easily could have been something she said, particularly the part about being around good energy and connecting with people. Laura treated her friends like family. Here’s a collection of her soaking up good energy and connecting with friends, often during some adventure.
From Amy Adams
Laura was always so modest about her accomplishments. She and I both grew up with horses, riding, etc. and we talked about it often. Horses were an important part of my story, I don’t know who I would be without them, but I was no expert horsewoman. Most of my horses growing up were discarded backyard horses and I never did much beyond local shows and trail riding. Laura knew that, but whenever we talked horses, she talked like I was equal to her. I had no idea how accomplished she was. One day, she came to visit and brought a photo of her jumping this massive fence and I was floored. I shouldn’t have been, of course, because Laura always did everything all the way and then some. But even after that day, once I had the full picture of her experience and skill, she kept right on treating me like the horse expert. Someone would have a horse question and she’d say “Amy knows horses. You should ask Amy!”. It always made me laugh, how absurd!! She had a way of having more confidence in me than I ever did in most things. She made me a better person, a better parent, a better teacher and I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to know her.
Laura on Horses
I loved watching her fly. She had a reputation for being able to work with horses that are difficult or even dangerous (which explains how she could be so patient with me 😉 Watching her on horseback, one was instantly aware of her competence, confidence, and unbridled joy.
Sunbeams
I found some quotes on Laura’s phone that spoke to her enough that she saved them. I think the Dahl quote goes quite well with my new favorite photo of her, shot by Shelley Wurst. The other goes well with one of the only photos of kevachick (her gmail handle) working with the keva blocks. I have years worth of photos of keva classes, but she was always the one taking them, never in them.
From Sarah Wegner
I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of Laura’s death on Sunday. I know Laura would not want people to dwell on the injustice of such a brilliant life cut short by cancer; she would want a celebration of the life she lived.
What I remember most about Laura was her laugh. It was singular and infectious. I recall cleaning tack and laughing. I recall walking cross-country courses and laughing. I recall her comforting me after a fall and her laughter as she helped me clean my cuts. She turned the focus from pain and humiliation to the value of the learning experience I had just endured and reminded me that TJ was a wonderful soul with the best intentions.
Laura could ride the horses everyone else thought were lost causes. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13, “Love is patient, love is kind…,” because this was how Laura approached riding. In fact, it was how she approached every aspect of her life. Pride was “difficult,” and Jenny was “dangerous,” until Laura showed them love and kindness. In her hands they became brilliant.
I don’t believe one could know Laura and remained unchanged. Quietly, kindly, Laura encouraged everyone to be stronger, braver, more loving versions of themselves, and to find humor and joy in every experience.
When Laura discovered Linguistics, she changed her entire career plan. This was an extremely difficult decision for many complex reasons, but Laura was not deterred because she knew her mind and she trusted her instincts. Laura was not afraid of difficulty, she was not afraid of hard work, and she was not afraid of anything that might impede her pursuit of what she believed in and loved.
Laura’s successes were greater because she freely shared them. I believe she saw her many achievements as meaningful because she could use them to help others. She was the rare individual who said to anyone, to everyone, “My success is also yours, take my hand, let me help you…”
I deeply regret losing touch with Laura after she moved to Connecticut. I got news of her death just before I was to give my last final of this semester. I sat in my car and cried while the Taco Bell Party Pack I was bringing for my students slowly cooled in the passenger seat. Of course, I called my mom and left a tearful, disjointed voicemail, then composed myself and went to class.
Education in the time of COVID is much more about providing a safe place for young people to make sense of their abruptly and completely changed world than it is about meeting the course learning outcomes. We didn’t really have a final. Instead, my students and I talked about plans for the future and the fun we had this semester. When the conversation allowed, I took the opportunity to tell each of my students how much I had seen them grow and how hard I knew they had worked this semester. The class concluded with an in-depth discussion on how to make exquisitely moist, flavorful cupcakes. The secret, apparently, is allowing the batter to sit in the refrigerator for two days so the flavors can develop and blend…
I believe this is what Laura would have done in a similar situation and I took inspiration from that. I didn’t try to hide my grief or explain it. I didn’t need to, it was where I was that day and everyone accepted that.
Laura, I learned that from you. Thank you. I love you.
From Elly Bales
Laura Palumbo was one of the most open people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet. To start off, her face was open — her wide smile, her eyes — they invited you to share with her in the joy of life. Also, her ears were open — Laura always wanted to know more, to hear more, to learn more.
One of the topics Laura wanted to learn more about in recent years was lower-waste living and awareness of our ecological footprints on Earth. She was a big proponent of buying in bulk and storing items in glass jars saved from the recycle bin. As a Texas farm girl and a daughter of Arizona, she knew how not just how to “make do” but how to make things better.
For Marcus’s graduation party in 2022, Laura made a massive effort to throw a big, celebratory bash with the smallest environmental footprint possible. Her strategy involved working with many friends, who helped in party planning and lower-waste options; contributed reusable dishware, glassware, cutlery, and linens; brought drinks in recyclable containers (aluminum is better than plastic!); and — so importantly — hand-washed all the dirty dishes and cutlery between the main course and dessert so that guests would have items back again for use.
Outside the party tent, there were basins for guests to put used plates, cutlery, and glassware in, hampers to collect dirty napkins, containers to hold recyclable items, a compost bin to collect uneaten food (shrimp shells!), and — the pièce de resistance — the tiniest possible trash can (I think it was only a foot tall…!). In making these efforts, even through illness, Laura was showing us the importance of celebrating Marcus’s educational achievements and her family’s educational model, in addition to the importance of reducing our environmental footprint for the sake of future generations, such as for Marcus and Jared and beyond.
I loved talking to Laura about important sustainability goals, in addition to so many other, meaningful topics, but one of our particularly fun points in recent conversation was…penguins. Early in Laura’s cancer battle, she made an offhand comment about liking penguins, and well, that just opened the door for Laurel and me to shower Laura with penguins and for her to do the same for us. Not only was there a near-constant stream of penguin GIFs in our threesome’s text thread, but there were stuffed penguin toys, penguin socks, a penguin snuggle blanket, a penguin kitchen timer, and even a photo of penguins on the coast of Argentina, personally signed by nature photographer Keith Ellenbogen to us three — the PLT, the Penguin Love Trio.
Laura, I’m grateful for your love and for your guidance, for your ear and for your words. Your love is in my heart, and each day, signs of you pop up all over my kitchen: the utensil crock, the kitty tea towel, the flannel “non-paper towel” roll, the beautiful mug, and of course, the penguin timer. You inspired so many of us in countless ways, and I love you always. #PLT4ever
From Jessica Heller
From Christine Magurno
Mike, Marcus, and Jared,
The boys and I send our deepest condolences, prayers, and support for the loss of Laura.
Marcus and Jared, one of the things I loved most about your Mom was her devotion and attentiveness to each of you. When you were both little, I remember having a long conversation with your Mom about parenting. We talked about giving our kids time to play and find their joy. We watched all of you running around and playing as we chatted and we were both thankful. And we found friendship that day while talking about being the best we can be for our families. I remember the conversation all these years later because your Mom was so genuine and filled with joy and love for her family. It was an honor to be her friend and to see you both grow into the awesome humans that you are.
Mike, I think about Laura every day as I work with my students. Not long ago, she gave me some beautiful books and resources for me to use with my dyslexic students. Although she was no longer working in the field of linguistics, she carefully chose a home for her resources in hopes that they would continue to help others. I treasure them, as do the children who benefit from her generosity.
Laura led a meaningful life filled with love and she is forever a blessing to all who knew her.
With deepest sympathy,