Laura Kay Gould, age 84 passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 4th with family by her side. Laura was born April 21, 1940, to John and Grace (Sewell) Gould of Battle Creek Michigan. She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Richard Gould; and sisters, Louise Stormzand, and Joyce Ogata. She is survived by her brother, John; and sister-in-law, Kate Gould; brother-in-law, Edward Stormzand; nieces and nephews, Edward and Cheryl Stormzand; Michael Stormzand; Laura and Douglas Van Hattum; and Linda and Jon Cotton. She is also survived by several great nieces and nephews whose artwork was always on full display in Laura’s home.
Laura was raised in Battle Creek Michigan and graduated from Lakeview High School in 1958. She continued her education at Michigan State University and graduated with a degree in Art Education in 1962. Laura joined the Peace Corps and served in Malawi Africa from 1964 to 1967, after which she continued to serve as a trainer of groups headed to Kenya. From the mid-1970’s to mid-1980’s she lived in Washington D.C. where she wrote grants and painted renderings of buildings for the United States Government including the White House, Capital Building, and Washington Monument. Laura returned to Battle Creek residing in the house she grew up in and continued to pursue her passion for art.
With Laura’s love of painting, anything could become a canvas including suitcases, chairs, canoes, greeting cards, etc. She was also an expert quilter and together with her sisters, created many beautiful pieces to celebrate weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. In 2021, her art collection was featured in an exhibit at The Art Center of Battle Creek which she supported.
Laura touched many lives and will always be remembered for her wonderful personality, sense of humor, smile, and infectious laugh. Described by a friend as “one of the treasures of this world”, she will forever hold a place in the hearts of those who knew her.
The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers at Sunrise of Cascade for their compassionate care for Laura during her residency. There will be a private family gathering to celebrate Laura’s life and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Art Center of Battle Creek, 265 Emmett, Battle Creek, MI 49017.
5 Responses
Lovely funny clever talented Laura Kay, with a generous spirit and heart. She drew all kinds of people to her like bees to honey. I will always hear her laugh in my head and smile. She adored her family and friends and they adored her back. May she rest in peace. xo
Dear Laura -I loved u like a sister even tho we were only cousins. We had so much fun when the Sewell families got together. We laughed so much, our stomachs hurt. Even tho we didn’t get to see each other much, since we lived so far apart, we always kept in touch. When we did get to visit in person we could talk and laugh for days on end about everything under the sun and speculate about what was going to happen next. I miss her so much but know that one day, somehow, welll meet again. 💖💖💖. Mary
Laura was like no other person on the planet. She was a fantastic conversationalist, a wonderful friend to so many of us, a talented artist, and a real true lover of people and of life. She made all of us better for knowing her.
Laura was one of my mom’s closest friends, and mine. As a young person she taught me how to sew and make my own clothing which is still one of the joys of my life.
She showed me what it is to be a true artist dedicated to your work and validated me as an artist.
I loved being around her. Her laugh, her humor, her honesty. Thank you Laura.
So sorry to hear this about Laura. Having grown up as a neighbor of the Gould family we knew them all well. John I am thinking of you and Kate. What wonderful and fun memories I have of all the Goulds. Laura set up a carved coconut head in our house and scared my Mom , and many other fun happenings over the years. Love all the family past and present.