Laura Jean (Carroll) Boyce, 72, was taken home by the Lord in the early morning hours of Thursday, July 30, 2020.
Born August 19, 1947 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Walter Joseph and Laura Jean (Koppe) Carroll, she was graduated from Montour High School as a member of the Class of 1965, where she was a member of the gymnastics team and varsity cheerleader for a two-time state champion football team. Laura attended Kent State University and graduated in 1969 with a bachelors degree in consumer science and fashion merchandising.
In the summer of 1968, while working a summer job as a waitress at Cape May, New Jersey, Laura met the love of her life, Richard Dean Boyce, who was serving there in the United States Coast Guard. Laura and Richard were married on November 21, 1970, in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he was stationed and she was a hospital director of nutrition services. The early years of their life together took them from Detroit, Michigan to Towanda, Pennsylvania and Palmyra, Indiana, before returning to Richard’s hometown in Clay County, Indiana in 1980.
Laura devoted herself as a full-time mother and artist for many years, creating handmade dolls, angels and woodcraft before discovering a passion for teaching in the Clay Community Schools where her own children were students. In 1987, Laura began substitute teaching part-time and then working as a full-time aide at Northview High School while earning her teaching certificate through Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s then-brand new WED program. Laura began teaching full-time at Northview High School and spent her years there amidst a community of family and friends, retiring in 2013. Over the years as a teacher, Laura volunteered with the Northview High School Sunshine Society, Pep Club among other student groups.
In 1992, Laura was diagnosed with cancer and embarked on a 28-year battle with a vigorous passion she happily shared with fellow survivors and patients, as well as family and friends. As a patient, survivor and advocate, Laura volunteered not only her time, but her experience, with others over the years, while educating herself about potential treatments in the shared hope of finding a cure. Her unshakable Christian faith and passion for education proved a winning combination over the years as she won battle after battle.
Her greatest passion was her family – she loved holidays, especially Christmas and birthdays, and she had a knack for finding ways to make everyone feel individually loved and cherished. Her children, grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends can all attest to the extra effort that Laura put in to demonstrate her love.
Laura was a dedicated member of the Prairie City United Methodist Church, Cradles of Clay County, the Clay County Home-Economics Club, 100 Women Who Care, the Emmaus Community, and the NEA Retired Teachers Association. A lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Laura loved family and friends sufficient enough to enjoy Indianapolis Colts games so long as they were there.
Laura is survived by: Her husband, Richard; her brothers, Dan and Terri Carroll, and Bill and Mary Carroll; her children, Brian Boyce, Micah and Stephanie Boyce, Erin and Dan Aberg; her grandchildren, Cole, Jocelyn and Grayson Boyce, Benny and Nicholas Aberg; nephews and nieces, Jason and Tiffany Brown, Garth and Sara Brown, Heidi Carroll, Katie and Tim Jacoby, Miranda and Milad Dalju, and Peter Carroll, along with many cousins, and great-nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents and nephew, David Carroll
Arrangements are pending at French Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Prairie City United Methodist Church.
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