Laurie A. Eppler

A service to celebrate the life of Laurie A. (Moorman) Eppler, will be held at 11 AM on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at Mentor United Methodist Church, 8600 Mentor Avenue, Mentor.

The family will receive friends from 4-8 PM on Monday, December 29, 2025 at Davis-Babcock Funeral Home, 4154 Clark Avenue, Willoughby.

Laurie A. (Moorman) Eppler

Born April 27, 1962, in Buffalo New York.

Laurie Ann Eppler passed away on December 3, 2025, at home surrounded by family.

She is survived by her husband, Craig Eppler and their children, Christopher Eppler, Sean (Mary Anne) (nee: Snyder) Eppler and Caelyn (nee: Eppler) (Major John Davis) Davis along with four beautiful grandchildren: Reagan and Laurelai Davis and Winnie and Walter Eppler. She is also survived by her sister Wendy (nee: Moorman) (Chris) Heye and brother, Scott (Beth) Moorman, as well as her Uncle Don and Aunt Monnie Moorman and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alan and Doreen Moorman, and her dear nephew, Ryan Heye.

Her family lived in Cheektowaga, NY, East Aurora, NY, and Medfield, MA before moving to Mentor, OH in 1977. When her dad traveled to Ohio to find a home, he attended a Top 25 concert which confirmed his decision to live in Mentor. Being part of Top 25 ended up being one of Laurie’s greatest joys in high school and her professional career.

Laurie graduated from Mentor High School with Honors, was a member of Student Council, Spanish Club, Drama Club and the National Honor Society. She was also an officer in the A Cappella Choir and accompanist for the Men’s Glee Club.

She entered Mount Union College in the Fall of 1980 majoring in Music Education and was the recipient of multiple scholarships. It was there that she met Craig, where both were members of the Concert Choir. They started dating in the Spring of 1981 while on Choir Tour to Boston and enjoyed a “first date” at the historic Union Oyster House. They were engaged in March of 1983 on a Choir Tour at Disney World.

She made the most of her experience at Mount Union. In addition to the Concert Choir, she was a member of Mu Phi Music Fraternity, held various leadership positions in the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and was a member of the AWS (Association of Women Students) and elected President of AWS her Senior Year. She was also a very active member and held leadership roles in Kappa Phi, the Christian Service Sorority and active in the Ichthys Bible Study group. She was in the Student National Educators Association, on the Executive Council of the Student Senate and served as a Floor Counselor in her dorm. She was selected to be in the Sophomore Service Honorary, Blue Key, and Who’s Who, and selected to represent Kappa Phi in the May Day campus beauty pageant. Other highlights include being the female lead in “Pippin” and being recognized as a finalist for “Outstanding Senior”.

Laurie graduated from Mount Union with Honors in June of 1984 and took a position as Choral Director at Madison High School. She also served as choral director at Painesville United Methodist Church, a position previously held by Craig’s father, Rev. Ronald Eppler.

Laurie and Craig were married at the Painesville United Methodist Church on July 14, 1984. Their first child, Christopher, was born on New Years Day, 1986. In 1987, the family moved to Gettysburg, PA where Craig worked for Gettysburg College. During that time, Laurie worked as a substitute teacher and served as the Choral Director at the Historic Gettysburg Presbyterian Church, home congregation to President and Maime Eisenhower and where Abraham Lincoln worshipped the weekend of the Gettysburg Address.

With a move back to Ohio in 1989, Laurie took a position as a music teacher in the Mentor Schools. She earned her Master of Education degree in 1984 and in 2001 she earned her certification as an elementary teacher. From 2002 until her retirement in 2021 she was a teacher at Sterling Morton Elementary. She became well-known for her “Harry Potter” classroom theme which included extensive décor and memorabilia, dress up days and breaking the classroom into “Houses”. She truly loved making learning fun, and her students loved her.

Her son Sean was born on August 24, 1991 and her daughter Caelyn was born on December 4, 1994.

In addition to teaching, Laurie became the Assistant Director of Top 25 in 2009-2011 and then became Director from 2011-2016. In 2016, she led the Top 25 on their 50th Anniversary Tour to Disney World and hosted the 50th Anniversary Spring Concert where she was honored to direct the Alumni Choir. Laurie also became the Musical Director of the Mentor High School Spring musicals from 2019 until 2023. During that time, the group earned two Rotary Awards for Best Musical.

Laurie loved to perform in community theater and usually it included her children in the cast. She was Marian in “Music Man”, played Marmie March in “Little Women”, held the role of Narrator in “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, played in “The King and I” and was thrilled to play the Baroness and Mother Abbess during separate productions of her favorite musical, “The Sound of Music”. She and Craig were Mr. and Mrs. Beaver in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. In addition, Laurie was the Music Director for several children’s theater productions at the Geauga Lyric Guild.

Laurie earned many awards and honors throughout her career. Highlights include a 2003 Governor’s Educational Leadership Award by Governor Taft, a 2003 Nomination for Ohio Teacher of the Year, 2011 Master Teacher recognition by the Mentor Board of Education, 2013 Ohio PTA District Outstanding Educator award, and being named 2019 George Hayward VFW Post 9295 Elementary Teacher of the Year.

For nearly 25 years Laurie sang with and eventually served as Worship Leader of the contemporary services at Mentor United Methodist Church. Leading contemporary worship in song with her fellow musicians was truly using the talent God gave her to its fullest. She directed the Children’s Choir at Gettysburg Presbyterian, Painesville UMC, Mentor UMC for many years.

Laurie also served regularly in the Western Reserve Emmaus Community. One of the greatest honors of her life was to serve as Lay Leader for the Women’s Walk in September of 2023.

Laurie was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in November of 2023. She was the first in the country to participate in the 2nd Phase of an Immunotherapy Study that infused her own Gamma Delta T Cells back into her body to fight the tumor. The hope was that it would save her life, but it most certainly gave two more years for Laurie and her family to love, laugh, cry and just be together.

Laurie was truly a blessing in the lives of everyone she touched. She loved her students, her colleagues, her children and grandchildren, her husband, her extended family and her Lord. Laurie considered her family and their incredible bond her greatest achievement. She made the most of the talent and love that God entrusted in her and will always be remembered for the gifts that she shared with us.

An Endowment to benefit the Modern Worship Ministry at Mentor United Methodist Church is being set up in Memory of Laurie. Gifts can be contributed at the Church Website or directly to the Church at 8600 Mentor Ave, Mentor, Ohio 44060. Checks should be made out to Mentor UMC with “Laurie Eppler” in the memo line.

Special Thanks to the many professionals at the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center. The warmth and compassion and treatment Laurie was blessed with there was truly a gift.

No matter how you choose to honor Laurie’s memory, our family is forever grateful for your gifts of love and prayers.

You are invited to read the memories shared in "Love for Laurie" and encouraged to add your own.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17kcHJjAdA/