Laurel Ann (Laurie) was born in Alliance, Ohio on January 8, 1953, the firstborn child of Edward and Geri McMahon. Laurie passed away on April 15, 2019 after a long and courageous battle with cancer surrounded by those she loved most.
After graduating from Westbury high school in Houston in 1971, Laurie attended Stephen F. Austin University at Nacogdoches and then went to UT at Austin. Laurie graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974 with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree, double majoring in History and Government. Upon graduation, Laurie went to work for the Texas Municipal League as a Research/Legislative Assistant and helped with the establishment of the TML’s Worker’s Compensation, Health and Risk Management Funds. Following her mother’s death in 1979, Laurie returned to Houston to be with her father. In 1981, Laurie married her college sweetheart, Greg Bartels, and returned to live in Austin. That same year, Laurie gave birth to Robin Lindsay Bartels on October 11, 1981 and became a full-time wife and mom. During this time, Laurie established lifelong relationships with the friends and families of Lindsay’s competitive ice-skating team, the Austintatious Stars. In 1986, Laurie began working as a pre-school teacher at Faith United Methodist until 1999 when she began working as a legal assistant and litigation secretary at several Austin law firms. She continued working in the legal field, until her health prevented her from doing so in 2012.
Laurie is preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Geri McMahon and by her nephew, Shannon McMahon.
Laurie is survived by her daughter, Lindsay Bartels Martin, grandsons Brennan Joseph Martin and Reagan Arvol Smith III (Tripp), Reagan Smith, Greg Bartels, Brother Shawn McMahon (Debbie), niece Kristen Leigh Hudson (Nick) and grandniece Aubrey Nicole Hudson. By 2013, Greg was Laurie’s primary caregiver for the remainder of her life. Laurie is also survived by the McMahon Clan: Aunts, Uncles and cousins spread across the country and too numerous to mention but all of them precious to Laurie. Their support and encouragement were a great source of strength for her.
Laurie was an avid reader and could always be found with the several books she was currently reading. She was a huge fan of HGTV and all cooking shows on television, which led her to prepare new recipes for her family to enjoy.
Most of all, Laurie loved her family and delighted in spending time with her two adorable grandsons.
Visitation will be held at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home, 14501 N. IH-35 Pflugerville, Texas 78660, on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Funeral Service will be held in Memorial Chapel of Cook-Walden/Capital Parks at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 with the committal service immediately following at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Cemetery.
Please visit Laurie’s memorial page at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com where you can share memories and condolences with her family.
