Laurie Ireland

Laurie Ireland passed through on July 3, 2008. She was born Aug. 12, 1952, in Portland, Maine, to Ralph and Vi McDonald.

As a young adult, Laurie attended Mary Hitchcock School of Nursing at Dartmouth and graduated in 1974. After working in a busy hospital ICU on the East Coast, she decided to pull up stakes and move to Montana in 1983. This made good sense because Laurie really liked the outdoors and the mountains of Montana.

As she continued to work as an RN in a less hectic ICU, she was able to pursue other interests. In the winter of 1985-1986, Laurie went to work for the Big Mountain Ski Patrol. At the end of the winter, she met Bruce Ireland, and shortly after they married.

Laurie and Bruce moved to Joliet in 1992, where they could split time between work and play. Laurie retired from nursing to be at home. She opted for three labs and two cats and to be a great homemaker. With the dogs and cats, it was a chore to keep the house clean, but it was always spotless. Laurie took such pride in the things she did.

She had such a great love for the outdoors. She was a great skier inbounds or backcountry. She preferred the backcountry aspect of her skiing, with an occasional winter camping trip. She also loved to hike the trails of Glacier National Park and the Absaroka Range. It was nothing for her to walk 25-30 miles in a day. She was an athlete.

Her other passion was fly-fishing, whether it was up in the mountains with the great vistas or floating the Stillwater River. She could really throw a good line every time, and could she ever row a boat.

For more than 30 years, Laurie touched many people caring for the sick. Her gentle touch, soft voice, kind smile and compassion for others will be missed. She was a gracious soul.

Laurie left behind her best friend and husband, Bruce; dogs Alias, Molley and Nel; cats Brewster and Mandy; sister and brother-in-law Heather and Roy Cole; and niece Kattie Damon, her husband Shaw and their two young kids; and many friends.

Laurie will truly be missed but look up and you can see her soaring with the eagles.