Laura Mae Smock

1927 - 2026

Anacortes, WA - In the early evening of 1/9/2026, Laura peacefully took her last breath as daughter Barbara quietly read to her from one of her favorite books, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, by Jonas Jonasson.

Laura was born 8/7/1927 to Floyd Llewellyn and Anna Margaret (Peterson) Langdon in Hendricks, MN. Her father descended from East Coast Langdons who migrated from England in 1646, and her mother from Hansens and Petersons of Denmark. Laura was the second generation of this Danish family born in the US. She was 3 years old when the family moved west.

Laura grew up on her family's 40-acre dairy farm directly across the road from the original entrance of Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington, WA. Her father taught agriculture at the old Arlington High School. The farmhouse on Stillaguamish was eventually sold and moved to nearby Bryant. Laura had many stories about growing up during WWII including taking shifts on the high school roof to watch for enemy aircraft and a brush with a logging truck while horseback riding in the Cascade Mountains. She was eldest sister to Alene Langdon (later Morris), John Langdon, Lon Langdon (all deceased) and Floyd Langdon of Arlington. Her best friend was Shirley Hodgeboom whose father managed the fish hatchery, and a favorite memory was going home with Shirley on the school bus and swimming in the tanks with the fish.

During fall semester at the University of Washington, a handsome sailor from Whidbey Naval Air Station swept her off her feet, and they were married in Detroit, MI on Valentine's Day 1947, both aged 19. "Romance, Real Romance..." began the wedding announcement in the news. When Dick died in 2018, they had been married for 71 years.

They loved to travel, from family camping trips around the country, to teaching in India and Africa. Laura was wife, mother and hostess to the core. She and Dick enjoyed having visitors from many countries to their home, including foreign exchange student Alicia Seltzer from Argentina, their '4th daughter.' Laura's positive attitude and caring disposition never diminished. Even in her last year at Lighthouse Memory Care, she looked out for others, and made sure they had a place to sit at the table.

After raising 3 daughters in WI, MI and IL, the Smocks retired to Anacortes, WA in 1986 and lived on their boat for 7 years. In 1993 they built their dreamhouse in Skyline, where Laura had her pottery studio, and Dick had his woodshop. They belonged to the Anacortes Yacht Club and attended the Anacortes Methodist Church. (Later, Laura would attend the Bridge Christian Fellowship with Barbara and Paul and the Skagit Valley Catholic churches with Ann.) They supported the Anacortes School District any way they could, and Laura spent many hours volunteering in their grandchildren's classes, and later for the high school art program. They went dancing, held parties, ate at Gere-A-Deli, and played their ukuleles. Summers were spent sailing around the San Juan Islands as well as the Inside Passage to Alaska with Linda and John, who also took them on many cruises around the world.

Laura is survived by her daughters: Linda Swanson (John Seely), Barbara (Paul) Schwulst, and Ann Smock; her grandchildren: Eric (Debra) Schwulst, Heidi (Aaron) Culver, Anna (Nick) Taylor, Cassady Norris (Hannah East), Fae (Zack) Freedman, Evelyn Osborn (James Robinson), Paul Seely, Val (Steven) McCracken, and Cathy (Chris) Nolan; her great-grandchildren: Gideon, Judah, Lydia, Isaiah, William, Isaac, Adelaide, Ella, Thea, Henri, Beckett, Stellan, Averi, Raleigh, Veronica and John; many cherished nieces and nephews, brother Floyd Langdon, sister-in-law Sue Marx Smock, long-time friends Dottie Ragouzis, the Spencer family, Joe and Mary Gleason, and countless others. She had a wonderful life filled with people she loved.

Our family is grateful for the caring staff at Lighthouse Memory Care and Evans Funeral Chapel.

Laura will be laid to rest next to Dick at Fernhill Cemetery in a private ceremony. Family and friends are welcome to attend a gathering at the Skyline Clubhouse at 2:30 PM, February 7, 2026.

To share memories of Laura, please visit www.evanschapel.com/obituary/laura-smock