Laura Helen (nee Baxter) Garrett, a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, and passionate gardener, passed away on February 22, 2025, at a rehabilitation center in Eugene, Oregon, after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She was 74 years young.
Born in 1950, Laura Helen Baxter was raised on a sheep ranch in western Sonoma County, California, by her parents, Thomas F. Baxter III and Barbara Ann (Lyon) Baxter. Though life eventually took her far from the ranch, its influence never left her. She lived by the words of naturalist John Muir: “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”
Alongside her older sister, Carmen, Laura attended elementary school in Geyserville and later Healdsburg High School, where she was twice crowned queen of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Her hardworking spirit led her to Sacramento State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree.
Laura married Mark Gleason in 1970, and together they had two sons, Tyler and Benjamin. After their divorce in 1981, she later married John Curtis, with whom she shared many years, creating wonderful memories, traveling foreign and domestic and being a part of raising two boys in Healdsburg.
In 1990, Laura became the proud owner of Far Horizons travel agency in Healdsburg and served on the board of directors for the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. It was during a travel industry event in 2002 that she met Kit Garrett, a representative of Happy Vacations. What began as a business connection blossomed into a love story, and in 2007, Laura and Kit were married. Their wedding rings symbolized their shared belief that “life, happiness, and love have no beginning and no end.” Her son Tyler once said he had never seen his mother so happy.
Laura and Kit settled in Eugene, where she worked at Premier Travel until her retirement in 2018. She filled her days tending to her garden and caring for the neighborhood’s sometimes-wandering cats. Laura also loved birds, mostly hummingbirds, of which she shared a beloved bond with her mother’s appreciation and admiration of the constant hovering and ever-moving creature which both truly embodied. Her daily walks with neighbors, friends and anyone who would join her were mostly spent looking for her winged friends in all manners of flight. Her love for all animals, brought on by her rural ranch upbringing, never wavered.
Despite her love for Oregon, her heart remained tied to the family ranch and to her son Tyler and his family in Bozeman, Montana. She once told him, “I didn’t think my heart could have room for two granddaughters, but I had to shove my two sons aside to make room for the girls.” Her love for all her grandchildren was–like her yard and garden and life–bountiful.
Plans were in place to bring Laura to Bozeman for her final days to be with those who loved her so, but ALS progressed too quickly. Instead, Tyler, Ben, and their families traveled to Eugene to say their goodbyes. In May, they will reunite for a private memorial at the ranch that meant so much to her.
Laura is survived by her husband, Kit; her sister, Carmen Bettencourt; her sons, Tyler (Marcie) and Ben (Cassie); and her beloved grandchildren-Payton and Rylee Gleason of Bozeman, Montana, and Leila and Jacksen Gleason of Monroe, Washington. She was preceded in death by her parents.
For those who wish to honor Laura’s memory, the family suggests donations to the ALS Association (1400 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209) or your local ALS organization.
Her life was filled with love, adventure, and an unwavering connection to nature-a legacy that will live on in the hearts of those who knew her.
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