Laurie Jean BASKIN

Laurie Jean Baskin

March 9, 1959 – April 10, 2025

“I figure, if a woman wants to be a legend, she should go ahead and be one.” – Calamity Jane 

With heavy hearts, we announce our beloved Laurie Jean Baskin passed away peacefully at home on April 10, 2025, at the age of 66 years.

Laurie will be dearly remembered for her warmth, kindness, and ability to connect with anyone. No matter who you were, you were always welcome to sit at her kitchen table for some good coffee and a heart-to-heart chat. 

She balanced strength, grace, ferocity, beauty, independence, determination, and softness down to an art form. A single comforting hug, or wise words of advice from her, could make you forget all of your worries.

Laurie was born on March 9, 1959 in the mountains of Golden BC. From there, she moved with her parents and siblings to Saskatchewan, eventually settling in the town of Turtleford. In 1977, at the age of 18, she made the move to Edmonton AB, where she remained for the rest of her life.

As a young girl, Laurie excelled at school and loved participating in sports including baseball, hockey, volleyball, and track & field. She enjoyed spending time with her siblings and parents, horseback riding with friends, berry-picking with her grandma, and participating in arts & crafts such as flower arranging, sewing, and macrame. 

Throughout her life, Laurie was an avid gardener – every fruit, vegetable, and flower she touched seemed to bloom and flourish with love. She was always generous to share her garden’s harvest, and her long-time home in Northeast Edmonton eventually came to be known as “The Flower House” in her neighbourhood. 

Laurie was an incredible cook. She kept generational recipes alive, while meticulously coming up with her own recipes through trial & error, sometimes for years, until they were just right. No matter how long or short a visit at her home may have been, guaranteed you’d have been fed first before departing. 

Laurie always had a soft spot for children and animals, and they adored her in return. She was known for giving out full-sized candy bars at Halloween, sponsoring children in need, and regularly donating to the Edmonton Humane Society.

Laurie took pride in her career working with the provincial government through Alberta Health. She spoke fondly of her time there, as well as the many relationships forged with colleagues. After retiring from Alberta Health, she successfully started and ran her own consulting company. 

No matter what she did, Laurie’s work ethic and determination were well-known by all – No task was ever too big for her to conquer, and she truly put her heart and soul into everything she did. 

Left behind to cherish her memory are her daughter, Pamela Morash (Mike), granddaughter Alyssa Wilde (Garrett), her sisters Shelley McMurphy, Maxine Tetz (Gerald), Margaret Chisholm (Alan), and Evelyn Whitfield (Alan), brothers David Nichol (Shelley), and Stewart McMurphy (Trudy), Aunt Jenny Nichol (Stan), niece Carla Tetz, great-niece Klarissa Tetz, dear friends Candace Hubbard and William “Bill” Baskin, and several other cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. 

Laurie was predeceased by her mother Elizabeth “Betty” McMurphy (Jack), father George Raymond Nichol (Jean), older brother George Nichol (Kathy), Uncles Stan Nichol, Dave Nichol, Cleve Nichol, and Jim Mowery, Aunts Susie Nichol, Bernice Nichol, and Pearl Schick, son-in-law Curtis Morash, and niece Jessica Nichol.

To the best Mom and Nana – we thank you for giving so much of yourself to us, and for allowing us the honour to carry forth your legacy. Know that your memory will always be cherished and talked about for years to come. You are dearly loved and forever missed. 

The family wishes to thank Dr Zehra Vicaruddin, the staff at Unit 52 Grey Nuns Hospital, AHS Home Care & Palliative Team, and Harmony Caregiving for the kind and compassionate care they provided to Laurie in her final stage of life. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at VantagePoint Church in Edmonton AB on April 26 at 1:00 PM (MST).

For those unable to attend in person, a live-stream is available by clicking the following link (please note, a Facebook account is required to access the live-stream):

https://www.facebook.com/VantagePointCC/

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to MS Canada or Canadian Cancer Society.