Laura Anne South

Laura was born at Basset Mary Hospital, Fairbanks Alaska on the morning of 6th of January 1966 to Joanne and Charles South. The temperature that day ringing in at 32 to 42 below zero! After thawing out in sunny Southern California, she moved to Albany, Oregon as a five-year-old, attending St. Mary's Grammar School, North Albany Middle School, and graduating from West Albany high school. She sang in the church choir and was a youth minister at St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Her singing career began early, mastering "Blue Spanish Eyes" accompanied by her mother, Joanne, on the piano. She sang with the church choir for funerals and weddings and, in college, traveled the Northwest with the Gonzaga University Choir. For the past two decades she sang with the Corvallis Repertory Singers.

Laura Graduated from Gonzaga University in 1987 with a BA in Religious Studies, and from the University of Washington in 1996 with a BS in Ecology and Conservation. She worked as a research assistant for fisheries in Washington, before returning to the Willamette Valley in 1999. After managing an apartment complex, and working in community social services, Laura was employed by the Cascades West Council of Governments for the past 18 years in various information systems positions.

Laura married her high school sweetheart, Danylo Oryshchyn in 1992, and they had three sons: Andrew "Drew", Thomas, and Matthew. They divorced in 2007. Her home became a place of solace and shelter for many and provided loving shelter for her sons. Many instances of high intensity gaming of all kinds, internet search extravaganzas, joyous music events, gourmet cooking and baking took place under her roof. And she took great pride in learning how to repair her own car, remodel her home, repair her appliances, build a thriving garden where she advocated for native plants, and recently, she designed and built her own deck. She brought music with her everywhere, and her strongly held opinions as well.

Thirteen months ago, she hiked on the 1200 acres the South Family owns in Eastern Oregon, assessing fire damage to the trees, but over the following six months, she lost the capacity for exercise and exertion became impossible. On July 25th, the cause, a large adrenal cancer invading her liver and vena cava was diagnosed. Sadly, not much is known about this type of cancer and immunotherapy did not deliver its magic for her. After a four-month struggle, she died on November 21st, 2025, her mother's birthday, at the Evergreen Hospice House in Albany, OR.

Laura is survived by her three sons, Andrew "Drew" (Roslyn), Thomas, and Matthew, by her parents Joanne and Charles South, her siblings, Dr Susan South (Steve), Robert (Jennifer), and Michael (Erica) and the extended South-Hanlon-Casey-Certa-Zelnar-Oryshchyn families. She leaves behind a long-term companion, Gregor Allensworth, and many close, beloved friends.

Laura would want you to continue caring for each other, for the environment, and for the less fortunate amongst us. She would expect you to sing and dance often in her memory. She is especially grateful to those who were able to say goodbye over the past month, and to those who will continue to sustain her family in her absence. She was appreciative of the care received at Evergreen Hospice House in her last weeks. She is at peace.

A private family service will be held at a future date.

Laura's Irish Ancestors, the Kelleys-Conolleys-Barringtons, McMullins, Souths and Hanlons send their blessing:

Deep Peace of the running waves to you.

Deep Peace of the flowing air to you.

Deep Peace of the shining stars to you.

Deep Peace of the quiet Earth to you.

Deep Peace of the watching Shepherds to you.

Deep Peace of the Son of Peace to you.

--A Gaelic Prayer