Laurie L Obergottsberger

Laurie L. Obergottsberger April 30, 1931- March 7, 2020

There was a little girl and she had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good, she was very, very good
And when she was bad, she was HORRID

Our beloved Laurie Obergottsberger passed away after a brief bout with pneumonia on March 7, 2020, surrounded by love and peace. The above poem is how she started her memoir, as it was one she remembered being told when she was young.

Born Laura Marguerite Lutz, she started life in Mandan, North Dakota, as the youngest of 4 children to Rolland and Laura Lutz, who owned a photography studio. When she was 6, her family moved to Tacoma and her father continued his photography business there. While in Tacoma, she would ride her bike over to Point Defiance Zoo where, at the age of 12, she was able to volunteer to help feed and play with a baby lion (her parents had no idea). She loved animals and would even play with the bear cubs up at Paradise on Mount Rainier (her parents were unaware of this, too!).

While in school, she developed a beautiful singing voice and attended the University of Puget Sound to study voice. At 19, her parents sent her to Vienna, Austria to continue her voice studies, where she was also swept into balls and parties. She was hired by the Swiss Opera as a soloist, having the lead parts in operas such as Madame Butterfly and Carmina Burana. There in Vienna she met her husband, Othmar (Obie) Obergottsberger.

After marrying, she decided she wanted to focus on becoming a wife and mother. She brought her husband to visit America in 1955 and stayed, first living on Bainbridge Island, WA. After several moves, she and her husband and 4 children eventually settled back on Bainbridge Island. She continued to be active in music at church and with Bainbridge Performing Arts, and she gave voice lessons to many students.

After her husband died in 2004, she moved to Poulsbo, WA to live with her son and daughter-in-law and continued to live in Poulsbo until her death.

Laurie was an amazing woman. She gave everything to her family. Along with her 4 children, she had 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren who lovingly called her GG. Everyone who knew her loved her sense of humor and her compassion for others. Above all, she loved to laugh and she was even telling jokes up until she died.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her daughter Therese and her Grandson Jesse. She is survived by her son Mark (Linda) Obergottsberger, daughter Linda (Jeff) Hoffmeister, Son Mike (Lisa) Obergottsberger, Granddaughters Nicole, Elizabeth, Andrea, Bryna, Rebecca, Anna, and Kaitlin, Grandsons Kyler and Conner, and Great Grandchildren Emma, River, Summit, Cypress and Richard.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Laurie’s name to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium at https://www.pdza.org/connect/donate/

Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home on Bainbridge Island, WA