Laura Jeanne (Smith) Myles

Laura Jeanne Myles March 4, 1963 - February 5, 2023 On Sunday, February 5, 2023, Laura J. Myles of Terre Haute, IN, passed away peacefully in her sleep. Born Laura Jeanne Smith on March 4, 1963, to Bob and Charlene Smith of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, her name was pronounced like “Lara,” which her family wants to note here as a type of official record. She’d love it. Laura was raised with her sister, Kim, in St. Mary’s Village, where they had free rein of its alleys and yards; princesses looked after by the entire community. A voracious reader, Laura graduated from West Vigo High School in 1981 and attended Indiana State University. Laura married the love of her life, her husband of 35 years, Kelly Myles, on October 3, 1987. She’d always tell the story of how they met, specifically when he showed up in his gleaming black 1967 Firebird, rolled down his window, and tipped his sunglasses at her. She knew she had met the man she would marry, and she was right. They completed each other. Together, Laura and Kelly raised one daughter, Mila Myles, of Los Angeles, CA. Mila and Laura were best friends, and rarely did a day pass when they didn’t talk. She was the best role model a girl could ask for; a mama bear for the ages. Laura was a loving and loyal woman who gave everything as a mother, wife, daughter, and sister. No one could mess with her family and friends, and she’d tell you so to your face. She protected those most vulnerable and had no tolerance for bullies. Laura worked various jobs in her life, but her perfect job, and the one she treasured most, were the seven years she spent as the secretary for St. Patrick School in Terre Haute. She showed love and kindness to every student who walked those halls, treating them like her own children. Following a brain aneurysm in September 2009, her body started to deteriorate. After 13 years, several diseases, and countless medications and treatments later, she’s finally been called home. Laura no longer has to fight to survive, suffering in daily, excruciating pain. She is finally free, finally at peace. Laura is survived by her husband, Kelly, and daughter, Mila. She is also survived by her father, Bob Smith; her mother, Charlene Smith (née Ramsey); her sister and brother-in-law, Kim (née Smith) and Jim Worland; her mother-in-law, Linda Johnson (née Staples); her father-in-law, B.K. Myles, along with many cousins and friends, as well as her rascal dog, Daisy Mae. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Elmer and Lena Mae Ramsey; paternal grandparents, John and Cecelia Smith, the latter of whom emigrated from the United Kingdom in 1911; uncle, David Ramsey; aunt and uncle, Francis (née Ramsey) and Earl Robertson; aunt, Laverne Lydick (née Smith); uncle, Jim Smith; and nephew, B.J. Myles. Per Laura’s final wishes, she will be cremated, and a private graveside service will be held for close family and friends. In lieu of flowers, her family encourages those interested to donate in her memory to Indiana Youth Group, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organization. Please visit indianayouthgroup.org/giving to learn more and donate today. She’d love it.  Arrangements are under the direction of Fitzpatrick Funeral Home.

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