After graduation in 1971, Laurie took off for California with her boyfriend John. There she fell in love with silversmithing and brazing jewelry and small sculpture. In 1972 she moved to Cincinnati and went to work for General Electric. She certified as a turbine specialist in specialized metals and was the first woman to work in a power house. Over the next 3 years she worked in many powerhouses around the country. Chicago Bridge and Iron offered her a job if she got her underwater license. Laurie graduated hard hat commercial diving school in 1978. Another first for women. She then broke into the NYC Dock-Builders Union where again she was the first woman trades person. Working on permit for all the heavy construction trades, Laurie wrote a program to bring women into the unions and get them trained in the trade schools. She became the first woman superintendent in the heavy construction trades. Laurie spent 9 days in the water with Physty the whale in 1981. In 1986 Laurie married and had 2 children. She taught steel and clay sculpture at the Purnell School, a girl’s high school and opened a backyard studio where she taught private classes in clay and pottery. Laurie has many sculptures and pieces of art in private collections as well school campuses. Laurie is divorced and lives in Englewood Florida where she teaches small boat sailing as a certified US Sailing Instructor.

You can see Laurie’s art at the following locations:

• The Northwind Undersea Museum, City Island, NY
• Old Farmer Road School, Long Valley, NJ
• Gill St. Bernards School, Gladstone, NJ
• West Babylon Public Library, Long Island, NY
• Holocaust/Genocide Center, Raritan Valley Community College, NJ