Laurel Lee Eberhart

Laurel Lee Eberhart of Cary, North Carolina passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 10th, 2020 at the age of 90 years old.

Laurel was a native Nebraskan born in Bushnell, Nebraska, to Ralph and Salma Hammond on December 20, 1929. She attended grade school in Bushnell, NE and high school in Louisville, NE. She graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln, NE in 1951 receiving a BS degree in Social Work. She worked at the Veterans Administration for a year and then had her first year of graduate school at Denver University.

She married the love of her life, Steve Eberhart on July 19, 1953. In 1955, while Steve was in the Air Force and recovering from polio, Laurel completed her Masters of Social Work degree at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX, and then worked for Family Service Association for several years. Through further study and supervised training, she obtained her license in clinical social work and became a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work by the American Board of Examiners. She was also a clinical member and approved supervisor for the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy.

Laurel and Steve have four children, three daughters and one son. After the children were born, she became a stay at home mom and enjoyed their activities as well as volunteering for various community services including board membership for a home for delinquent adolescent girls. In 1964, the whole family enjoyed a five year stay in Kitale, Kenya while Steve developed new breeds of corn that helped to ease the hunger situation, and brought new farming skills to the local residents.

When the children left for college, she worked for Catholic Social Services in Bloomington, IL providing psychotherapy to rural elderly who could neither drive to, nor afford the services of private mental health care. When the grant was no longer available, she began working as Counselor to the Elderly and Hospital Social Service Worker for Bro-Menn Hospital in Bloomington, IL, dividing her time between their closed psychiatric ward, long term Care Unit and Hospice program.

In 1987 Laurel and Steve moved to Fort Collins, CO where he served as Director of the National Seed Storage Laboratory and she worked for the next ten years as Director of Social Services, Hospice of Larimer County.

After retirement, Laurel and her husband traveled extensively throughout the globe. She also continued her therapy work part-time through self-employment providing care to residents of assisted living and skilled nursing homes in Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Colorado, and Cheyenne, Wyoming. She retired completely in 2008 at the age of 79.

The last years of her life were filled with fun and relaxation. She loved visiting her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She also enjoyed playing bridge, several book clubs, her many friends in PEO, and many activities of Fort Collins Country Club; especially the meals in the dining room, golf, and bridge.

Laurel and Steve remained in Fort Collins until 2015, when they moved to Cary, North Carolina to be closer to family. While in Cary, they enjoyed residency at the SearStone retirement living center and later at Brittany Place.

Laurel is survived by her husband of 66 years, Steve Eberhart of Cary, North Carolina; daughter Lyndl Schuster (Paul Holzman) of Northbrook, Illinois; son Paul Eberhart (Lisa) of Cary, North Carolina; daughter Sally Barth (Roger) of Dunnellon, Florida; daughter Sue May (Jeff) of Yankton, South Dakota; sister Sally Van Zandt of Lincoln, Nebraska as well as 11 grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren.

Family accepted visitors at Brown-Wynne Funeral home, 200 SE Maynard Rd, Cary, NC 27511 on Friday, February 14 from 5pm-7pm, and a celebration of life was on Saturday, February 15 at 11 A.M. at the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church of Cary, 200 High Meadow Dr, Cary, NC 27511, followed by a lunch and reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations to her memory can be made to Transitions Hospice of Wake County, Pathways Hospice of Colorado, Women's Scholarships through PEO, CSU Women's Assoc. scholarships through the CSU Foundation, or to a charity of your choice.