Obituaries Laura Jane Szymendera (Kauffman)
Laura Jane Szymendera, a loving wife, mother, and grandmother (“Grammy”) died on October 4th while in Cape Cod, MA, where she was attending a family wedding.
Born in Bethlehem, PA, Laura was the beloved wife of Michael Szymendera and the daughter of the late Richard and Mary Lou (Preston) Kauffman.
Laura was a resident of Stafford, VA since the summer of 2000. She was a graduate of Council Rock High School in Newtown, PA and went on to obtain her teaching degree from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree from the State University of New York. Laura taught early childhood special education for 29 years, with 8 of those in Whitney Point, NY, followed by a 5-year hiatus while the family lived in the United Kingdom. Laura continued to teach for 21 years in Stafford, VA, and had recently retired from teaching in July of this year. Laura’s career in early childhood special education enabled her to make a positive difference in the lives of the children that she was blessed to have in her classroom each year. Laura was also a woman of great Faith and drew tremendous comfort from her participation in activities with her family and friends at Lifepoint church.
In addition to her husband, Laura is survived by her daughter, Kate Johnson and her husband Phillip, daughter Melissa Szymendera, and her dear grandchildren, Mason and Sadie Johnson. Also surviving her are brothers Scott Kauffman and his wife Patricia, and Craig Kauffman and his wife Judy, and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Family and friends are invited to attend her memorial service on Saturday October 23, 2021 at 11:30 am at Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church in New Hope, PA. Interment will be private. Wearing of masks would be appreciated for the protection of all in attendance.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Mary’s Shelter (marysshelterva.org) and/or Beauty for Ashes (beautyforashesva.org) in Fredericksburg, VA. www.fluehr.com
Service
Saturday, October 23rd, 2021
11:30 AM
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