Our lovely sister, Laura Garcia Bowen, passed away suddenly on January 20, 2025, at the youthful age of 56, coincidentally the same age as our father, Rusty.

She leaves behind 2 beloved sons, Sean and Josh Bowen of OK, husband Scott Bowen, 2 brothers- Greg Garcia of PA, Gary Garcia of VA, a sister-Gloria Garcia Nagle of TX, and a step-brother, Charles Crump of KS, and many cousins and other relatives.

Laura was born at Craig General Hospital in Vinita, OK on June 3, 1968. She was the daughter of Dr. R.D. Garcia (deceased age 56 in 1986) and Marti Rainey Garcia (deceased age 53 in 1994). Dr. Garcia was the Chief Forensic Psychiatrist of Oklahoma at Eastern State Hospital in Vinita and greatly influenced her outlook on life and desire to help people. Her mom Marti often played cards, mah-thong, Scrabble, Yahtzee and socialized often with friends and relatives, teaching Laura the value of friends and family.

Laura derived much joy from her connections with friends and the activities they shared. She was fortunate to have counted lifelong friends in her life like Stephanie, Park (whose early passing she still mourned), Deanne, Ira, Jay, Dwayne, Cindy, Michelle and April and Paige and many others too countless to name. She had fond memories growing up with Traci and Matt who she spent many summers with getting into mischief and playing for endless hours. She has now joined beloved relatives Mama Mae, Mamal Ollie, Aunt Margaret and Lucille, cousins Traci, Bobbi, and Jerry and her parents Marti and Rusty with her corgis and bulldogs by her side running free exuding love.

We hope that the memories Laura shared with you are happy ones and if you ever have a funny moment when you are thinking of her she may be right beside you laughing too.

Growing up Laura spent many summers and holidays with extended family in Tennessee and played with cousins Tracie and Matt Capshaw, Shelly and David Dix and others who often spent time with Laura in Vinita on many adventures. Her aunts and many cousins and Grandma Mamal (Ollie Rainey) spoiled her with rich family experiences and Southern hospitality, where she developed a love for all kinds of food and the importance of gathering with family.

She attended Hall Halsell Elementary, Ewing Halsell Jr. High and was a graduate of Vinita High School class of 1986, and was valedictorian. Her formative years in Vinita made her a Vinitian at heart and greatly influenced her outlook on life. She often returned in later years to visit friends, reminisce and visit our father's grave at Fairlawn Cemetery.

She grew up mostly in a huge 2 story Victorian home, aptly named the Foreman house, where she had many adventures with family and friends. Most notably she had the tower bedroom, which sported a round bed in the tower. Kids used to knock at the door and asked to see the secret rooms and the dungeon. There was a saddle house which became her playroom, a carriage house used as a garage, a barn which became a garage, and a little house that was formerly servant's quarters, which became another playhouse. The home had a cistern and water was pumped upstairs. It was one of the first homes in Vinita with running water plumbing. There was a concrete step left over from the 1800's used to get into carriages and on horseback and the place to tie up your horse was still present in the front yard. Many fun times and adventures were held under the big elm trees and expansive driveway where your car always scraped bottom going up it.

Laura started of college at University of Oklahoma from 1986-87. She transferred to Oklahoma State University, studying Business Administration and Psychology, graduating in 1990. Laura later went to OSU/OKC and got her degree in nursing becoming an LPN in 2007 and an RN in 2009.

Between schooling Laura started several businesses, most notably Explore Store-Mind Body Spirit, which she described as a store with gifts, supplies, events and a Holistic Centre. With 2 locations in OKC and Tulsa, Laura sold metaphysical items, jewelry and accessories, T-shirts and clothing, mugs, magical and meaningful gifts. You could also get your Zodiac chart done, get a Tarot Card reading and advice. Her store gave the olfactory and auditory senses a peaceful realm and was a pleasure to browse.

Her later businesses included Nurture Thru Nature and Good Karma Enterprises, which she started in 2018.

Her jobs included working as a nanny for 2 girls in Vinita, a lifeguard, and later in life as a nurse for OU Health, and Baptist Health from 2007-2014. She was the Assistant Director of Nursing at Cedar Ridge Psychiatric Hospital from 2016-2018 and later for Landmark Recovery. From 2014-2016 she also worked in health information management first with Clinisys (Sunquest Information Systems) as an account executive and then as a traveling rep client account manager for Hicuity Health out of St. Louis. When COVID hit, she worked as a traveling nurse or medical consultant, and later as a private duty nurse until late 2023. She often joked that she had to raise her sons by phone calls, video calls and texts as she traveled so much.

Laura was married twice - first to Jay Smith, and then to Scott Bowen for over 20 years. Scott was a draftsman who was also a musician. He and Laura enjoyed much of the same music and other interests and activities.

Laura enjoyed traveling, dressing in relaxed tie dye outfits, things of a mystical nature, spending time with family and friends, and her beloved pet dogs.

She grew up with 2 dogs, Peppy and a 1/2 corgi 1/2 poodle dog she adored named Fifi. Later she got 3 corgis of her own Chloe, Sugar Bear and Suzie. Sugar Bear was her spoiled baby as so many of her dogs were later. She took him everywhere and he had all kinds of outfits and accessories. When he had ambulatory issues as he got older, she got him a wheelchair cart.

Later she got several bulldogs- most notably Russell who she described as her doggie soulmate, and most recently Bella, who she adored like she was her 3rd child. She would put a scarf on Bella and said she looked like an old Russian Jewish grandma from tv commercials and called her Bella Brumhilda. She had other loving monikers for Bella who went everywhere with Laura and was a close companion.

Her vibrant and dynamic spirit was evident in her beautiful smile. She cared deeply about helping others-from the homeless, helping food pantries and helping survivors of trauma overcome their challenges.

She was extremely intelligent and often had deep conversations about a vast subject matter. She loved music, attending concerts and singing at the top of her lungs when she cranked the stereo up to her favorite song playlist.

She was a good cook and even had a chocolate pie named after her in a Vinita cookbook. She cooked Filipino food like pancit and siopao from scratch and when she set her mind to it, could make any recipe. The love of food, especially at gatherings of family and friends, led to weight challenges, but as Laura would say-"that's more of me to love."

She was very proud of her sons and the type of outstanding good young men they had become. She said if she went too soon (odd-like premonition of an early death)-"she had given them all the life skills they needed to succeed in life and the value of family and friends, an education and believing in yourself." She believed they could accomplish anything they set their minds to and felt they were very mature in their outlook on life and were the best things that had ever happened to her. She loved them dearly.

Sadly, ill health challenges led to an early retirement from work and the active life she once knew. She spent her final months being with family, friends and her beloved bulldog Bella.

We will miss her smile and laughter, her goofiness, her trying to shock you with antics or off behavior, her dynamic presence and the love and care she exuded to many.