Lauren Michelle GRAFF

1989 - 2021

Age 32, passed away unexpectedly on October 30, 2021 Lauren was born on July 19, 1989 in Appleton, WI to Gregory and Wendy (French) Graff. She grew up in Eagan, MN and attended the University of St. Thomas. Lauren received her law degree from the U of M Law School in 2019, where she met her husband, Mitchell Ness. The couple moved to Chicago, IL where Lauren was an attorney with McGuireWoods LLC. They married on Sept. 4, 2020 and welcomed their first child, James Graff-Ness, on Oct. 25, 2021. Lauren had a passion for art, travel, food, and helping others. She had a nurturing heart, a bright smile, and a laugh that echoed through every room she entered. Lauren is survived by her loving husband, Mitchell; her infant son, James; her parents, Gregory & Wendy Graff; sisters and brothers-in-law, Rachel and Brett Benson and Kate and Ben Kendall; mother-in-law Lori Ness; sister- and brother-in-law Lindsay and Derrick Macken and their children, Lucas and Leo; grandparents Evelyn French and Stephen and Bernadine Graff; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. A funeral service will be held on Friday, November 19th at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Eagan, MN at 10 AM, and a Celebration of Life will take place on November 20th from 12-3 PM at Best Western Nicollet Inn in Burnsville, MN. Please consider a donation to Bilingual Education for Central America (BECA) in Lauren's honor, an organization close to her heart, at becaschools.org.