Laurie A. Grund

Laurie Ann Grund was born on June 11, 1976 in Elgin, IL, the 2nd of four daughters of Linda and Gary Grund, affectionately known as "The Grund Girls".

Laurie was determined to live her life, despite being chronically ill. She attended Western Michigan University to pursue her interest in Egyptology that she gained with her fascination for the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. She loved cooking. Cooking allowed Laurie to be expressive and show her love for those who ate her food. She mastered and created many recipes, including her own sherried mushroom soup. She shared her passion for food and her food experiments with others on her blog (lairdriin.blogspot.com). Laurie grew up listening to music and loved many different genres. You could always tell how she was feeling based on the music that was playing. She loved sharp and witty humor and was sharp and witty herself. Laurie had a passion for all things science, especially for space and undersea exploration. She was always looking to the next advancement with space missions. Laurie excitedly looked forward to the recent total eclipse and was able to view the totality, fulfilling a long held goal of hers.

Laurie loved gaming. Computer games, board games, TTRPGs, card games, it did not matter the game, she enjoyed it. Through this mutual interest, met and fell in love with her husband Daniel. They spent many happy times playing their favorite games and going on their adventures together.

Laurie was both kind and considerate and often expressed her love and appreciation to her family and others who supported her on her health journey. She never missed an opportunity to express how appreciative she was for the healthcare workers she interacted with. She would often tell them, “You make a difference for people like me.”

Even while having multiple, difficult medical issues, Laurie persevered. She was an advocate for organ and tissue donation. As the recipient of two transplants and having been in the position to have to make that decision for another, she knew how hard the choice could be but also what help could be given to others even in a difficult time. One of her final wishes was to be a donor to others. A wish that was fulfilled with her passing.

Family was everything to Laurie. She dearly loved her husband, her immediate and extended family, and her menagerie of four legged pets including her dogs Buster and the late Moxie. She made our world brighter, and we will miss her every single day.

Laurie was preceded in death by her late husband Michael Guetschow. Laurie is survived by her husband, Daniel McKay, her parents Linda and Gary Grund, her sisters, Shannon (Tim) Cameron, Sara (Jim) Edinger, Julia Grund, nieces and nephews: Claire, Toby, Paige, Molly, Keegan and Xandria, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Our family will gather privately to celebrate Laurie's life.

Should you wish to make a donation in honor of Laurie, we kindly request:

Gift of Life (giftoflife.org), or

The American Kidney Fund (Kidneyfund.org)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Laurie A. Grund, please visit our floral store.