Laura Lee Edlund

1955 - 2018

1955 ~ 2018
Laura Lee Edlund passed away on January 31, 2018 in her "happy place", Tulum, Mexico with her husband by her side. Laura was born on September 15, 1955 to Wilford and Cynthia Williams in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She was the little girl her mother had wished and prayed for after already having three boys. She was her Mom's joy and definitely her favorite. Laura always had a competitive spirit and never let her older brothers get the best of her. She was only nine when her mother passed away but took on the responsibility of mothering her brothers as they grew older. After her mother's death she moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming. She was very happy living in Kemmerer and developed a special relationship with her grandparents, which carried with her throughout her life. She loved her grandparents and they reciprocated that love. When her father was transferred to Salt Lake City she moved with him. She graduated from Skyline High School. After graduating from high school, she met her future husband whom she dearly loved and he dearly loved her. They were married on August 28, 1975. They were more than just husband and wife, they were best friends who did everything together.
She had two children, whom she loved very much. Lisa who was born in 1978 and Mark in 1982. Her three grandchildren, Kaya, Ethan and Stella were the love of her life. She was their "Lanny". Any time spent with her grandchildren was very special. She also had a full term stillborn son, Jonathan, in 1988. She grieved that she never was able raise him. They are now reunited. Laura loved to do everything with her children when they were young. Summers were spent backpacking and fishing in the Wind Rivers in Wyoming with friends, camping in the Uinta Mountains and spending time at Lake Powell. Spring and fall were the time for camping and hiking in the canyons and mesas of southern Utah, often done with other families. It seemed there was always a large group of friends around. Winters were spent skiing at Snowbird. Everything she did was done with her family, especially when her children were young. She instilled a love of nature and the outdoors in her children that has carried with them through their lives.
She loved to be outdoors and loved all kinds of wildlife, especially birds. She was able to identify most species of birds wherever she traveled. She was a dog lover. She loved her beautiful garden. She loved to cook, and especially to make her famous salsa from vegetables she grew in her large garden. She was a people person and always had a smile on her face. She loved parties. She could make you feel like you were her best friend after just meeting. When her children grew older she and her husband began traveling to Tulum, Mexico, which is two hours south of Cancun. Oftentimes they went with friends and once with her entire family. They rented a house on the beach every year, where they spent two weeks in May and returned for two weeks in October. Over the years she made many friends during her time in Mexico and grew especially fond of the local Mayan people. She loved walking the white sandy beaches in the morning before sunrise and snorkeling in the clear Caribbean waters during the day. There was always something new and exciting that she saw. She even weathered a hurricane one year when everyone else had evacuated. Shortly after her death, a service was held for her by all her friends on the beach in Soliman Bay near Tulum. A plaque will be placed in her honor on the beach of the Caribbean Sea.
Laura was able to travel to many places throughout the country. She was the perfect traveling companion. She loved to visit New York City where she had very good friends. A lifelong dream of hers was to visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. at night which she was able to do. She saw wolves, bighorn sheep and grizzly bears in Yellowstone. She loved all the wild places of the west and planned on doing much more travelling around the world before her life was tragically cut short. She is gone but will always be in our hearts.
Laura had many jobs in her early life, but thirty years ago she began working at Snowbird Ski Resort. She originally began in the Mountain School but soon transferred to Mountain Operations which was her true love. She worked with many people who have become her lifelong friends. She also made many friends with people who came from all over the world to ski and ride at Snowbird. She had a smile for everyone and always took the time to help you. She kept a jar of candy for everyone in her office and the avalanche rescue dogs always knew that there was a treat for them in her desk drawer. Snowbird wasn't just Laura's second home, it was also her extended family. She truly loved her job and the people she worked with. Her husband taught skiing there, her children skied and snowboarded there and her grandchildren were successful racers for the Snowbird ski team. Thanks to everyone who contributed to make Snowbird the place she loved. There will be a memorial service in Laura's honor at Snowbird on Hidden Peak at a later date.
Laura is survived by her daughter and son and her three grandchildren. She is also survived by her three brothers Kip (Barbara), Bob (Lu) and Dennis (Jorie) along with numerous nieces and nephews and her faithful four-legged companion Boca. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son Jonathan and her brother Steve.
A gathering of friends and family will be held Sunday, February 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Mountain View Mortuary, 3115 E. 7800 S. Cottonwood Heights, and a memorial service will be held Monday, February 12th at 2:00 PM at the same location. Interment will follow the memorial service. Please consider a donation to the Best Friends Animal Society's Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah in Laura's name.