Laura O'Malley's Obituary
Laura was born in Anchorage, Alaska on February 17,1952. She was the oldest, by ten minutes, of her fraternal twin, Sally. Laura was the fifth child in a family of nine children of Dr. James O’Malley and Dr. Virginia Wright. She graduated from West High School in Anchorage, Alaska in 1970 and decided to follow the advice of her mentor, George Hays, to venture East to attend college at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated in 1974 and began a career with the FAA as a Air Transportation Systems Specialist specializing in radio navigation and communications. She was among the trailblazing women in this field, and her outstanding performance was recognized with many awards and honors. Although Laura lived many years in Ohio, she was very proud to be an O’Malley from Alaska. She often joked that no one came to visit her in Cleveland. She frequently came west to gather with family and friends at Thanksgiving and in the summers.
She loved to read and volunteered at the local library to help children with their reading. Laura was known for her Christmas boxes filled with homemade fudge, chocolate buckeyes, a beautiful handcrafted ornament, and a family tradition…a bayberry candle.. when burned to the end brought good luck for the coming year.
Laura was deeply loved and will be dearly missed. She is survived by her loving husband, Jerry Manning; loving mother of Maura Bakos (deceased), David Bakos, Colleen Kim(Donne) , Katie Marley(Andrew) , and Alaina Wagner(James) ; cherished grandmother of Michael Kim, Ryan Kim, Luke Gray, Elizabeth Wagner, and John Wagner; dear sister of Molly O'Malley, Barbara O’Malley, Dr. James O’Malley(Elizabeth), Peggy Peabody(Max), Sally O’Malley(Harald), Tommy O’Malley(Terry), Ruth O’Malley, and Robert O’Malley(Sayaka); and a host of extended family and dear friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Maura Virginia Bakos.
Livestream Link: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/85433/hash:055CDC68C42086A2
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