John Stewart Laing

John Stewart Laing, a much-loved husband, brother, uncle, friend, and a man who used every opportunity presented to him to explore the world passed away in Phoenix, AZ, on July 26, 2020, from complications of COVID-19. John was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, graduating from Chicopee Comprehensive High School in 1965. Determined to make something of himself, he moved to Tampa, Florida, in the late '60s putting himself through college and graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in accounting in 1973. In 1977 John decided he wanted to live a more extraordinary and adventurous life, so he embraced the opportunity to live an exceptional experience in Saudi Arabia with the Ralph M. Parsons Corporation. Having lived and traveled in the Mid-East for 12 years, John returned to the quiet solitude of Tampa to await his next adventure, which would take him into war-torn Kuwait. While the oil field fires were still burning, he worked for CH2M Hill as the Operational Manager in a Life support function that provided housing, meals, travel, and maintenance to help the country get back on its feet again. John's next adventure would take him into the jungles of Indonesia in September 1993, becoming the Manager of Business Planning and Expat Administration for Freeport McMoran. After 14 years in Indonesia, Freeport McMoran, with the acquisition of Phelps Dodge, asked if John would move to Phoenix and oversee the integration of two International HR departments. He became the Director of International HR and Recruiting for Freeport McMoran from which he retired in 2017. His jobs sent him to Africa, where he took advantage of various trips through the continent, whether it meant climbing a mountain to bond with the Silver Back Gorillas or the many photo Safaris John went on. One of John's most savored career locations was Indonesia. He loved the people, the culture, the local arts, and being able to explore the area extensively. His other travels included Venezuela, Peru, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Bali, Tahiti, and almost every country in between. John's attitude was, "Let's Go!" Many of the "treasures" gathered from his travels were displayed throughout the homes he designed and decorated in Phoenix, AZ. One of John's most recent and memorable trips was to Scotland with his brother, Bill, and nephew, Billy, to reconnect with their Scottish heritage. In Scotland, they found the Laing family crest, tartan (and that tartan recreated on his phone case), and even the Laing Castle. John's adventurous spirit prodded him to become an avid scuba diver, a sailor, a hiker, and a birder. For entertainment, John loved the theater, and concerts (he avidly followed Cher and Bette Meddler on Twitter). He savored good food and drank a Manhattan in Manhattan. "Want to take a cruise around Tahiti? Let's Go!" He relished the relationships that he had established with his coworkers. Making new friends on his travels and opening their home to friends and family from across the world. Every gathering became a remembered "party." John would always say: "I am living my best life!" Once you met John, you wanted to find any way to spend more time with him. He had an infectious personality. He was full of life and experiences; he was funny and thoughtful. His laugh was memorable. He was generous with his time, his love, and would give you the "shirt off his back" and sometimes did. He mentored hundreds of younger employees and friends to provide them with advice and a jump on their futures. In February 2018, John was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a rare and terminal disease that would eventually disable his lungs. But John didn't give in. He fought the disease, stayed strong, and focused on being healthy. He continued to work out with his trainer while carrying his oxygen to the gym. It was that life-long diligence and determination to live life to the fullest, that allowed him to be eligible to have a double lung transplant in November 2019. As soon as John was approved to carry on with his life, he again started working out with his trainer and made it his mission to remind his friends to get moving and eat better and take care of themselves. Unfortunately, even though John rarely left home during the pandemic, eight months later he and Norm contracted COVID 19, and it robbed him of his aspiration to continue his travels and explore the world with his family and friends. John is survived by his husband of five years, Norman Wagner, of Phoenix, AZ; his life partner and business partner for over 40 years, John Bateman of Tampa, FL; his brother William Laing and spouse Aline of Lawrenceville, GA; his nieces and nephews — who loved him to pieces — Annette Moore and her husband Cliff of Greenville, SC, and their children Emma, Lucas, and Elsie; his nephew William Laing, Jr. of Washington DC; Kristen Laing and her husband Harrison Andrews of Simpsonville, SC, and their three children Elijah, Levi, and Skye. John was predeceased by his mother Anne (Minton) Laing, father John Laing, and sister Celeste Laing. Like one of John's close friends said, "The Coronavirus stole his life, but it need not steal our celebration of it as well." A memorial and John-appropriate celebration are postponed to a time when it is again safe to be together. In lieu of flowers, a suggestion of a donation may be made in his memory to the organizations listed.