Obituary of Laura Barnes

Laura was born October 17, 1959 in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England, in the same house in which her mother was born. They came to the United States aboard the Queen Mary in 1964. Laura attended Holmes Elementary School and Wright Jr. High, and graduated from East Central High School. She received an Associates Degree from Claremore Jr. College, and her Bachelor of Science in Education from Langston University. She then attained her Master of Education from Northeastern State University. Laura was pursuing further education in Administration with the aim of becoming a middle-school principal. Laura had many passions in her life. She loved to teach science and instilled a love for the subject in her students. She taught in Tulsa Public Schools for over 20 years, most recently at Carver Middle School, where she also served as Science Department Head. In 2008 she was chosen as Carver Teacher of the Year. She was also named 2008-09 Geology Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma Society of Geologists, which was followed by national recognition in the same field. Laura was a member of Boston Avenue Methodist Church and the Maranatha Sunday school class. Laura loved to sail and started out on a Sunfish at Girl Scout camp. As her sailing skills improved she progressed to an MC Scow, and she recently became the proud owner of a Catalina 25. She was an active member of Windycrest Sailing Club for 25 years. Her passion for teaching surfaced in this realm and she taught children the fine art of sailing. Ooley, her beloved Border Collie came to Laura in 1998 as she was recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor. The puppy gave her a focus during a difficult recovery. She trained Ooley in Agility and they both achieved national recognition for their skill in the competitive ring. A second Border Collie, Allie, joined the family and added to Laura's dog training joy. She also rescued two cats, Shang and Dasher, whom she adored. Her human survivors include her mother, Sylvia Martin; father, Rowland Barnes; brother, Stephen Barnes; uncle, Bruce Hurst; and a multitude of aunts, uncles and cousins in England. Laura's legacy is the students who were privileged to be in her class during her many years of teaching. Her enthusiasm for her subject and love for her students were constants in her classroom. In keeping with her giving nature and desire to contribute to science and learning, Laura's final act was to donate her organs. Her selfless act will enable four recipients in Oklahoma and surrounding states to enjoy a healthy life. A memorial will be held 1:00 PM Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at Boston Avenue Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Laura Barnes's memory to Animal Aid of Tulsa, 3307 E. 15th St., Tulsa, OK 74112, or The Humane Society of Tulsa, 6808 S. Memorial, Ste. 350, Tulsa, OK 74113.&nbsp; You may make a donation by clicking below: <span style="font-family: 'helvetica','sans-serif'; color: #721819; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'times new roman'; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-fareast-language: en-us; mso-bidi-language: ar-sa"><a href="http://www.epartnersingiving.com/lauraannbarnes" target="http://www.epartnersingiving.com/lauraannbarnes">http://www.epartnersingiving.com/lauraannbarnes</a></span> <p></p>