Laurie Claire Hufstedler of Norman, Oklahoma, joined her Heavenly Father on Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023.

The daughter of Harley R. Hayen and Edna Koontz Hayen, Laurie was born on October 13, 1945, in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Laurie attended Garfield Elementary School, East Junior High, where her mother taught Latin, and graduated with honors from Ponca City High School in 1963. After high school, Laurie attended the University of Oklahoma, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and two master’s degrees, one in Speech Pathology and the other in Informational Technology. She served as the speech pathologist for many years at Jefferson Elementary School in Norman and was a proud Jefferson Dragon during her years there.

A devout Christian, as a child and youth, Laurie attended the First Presbyterian Church in Ponca City, where she participated in the youth choirs and other youth activities. Her love for music was always apparent and as she grew, so did her musical talent. She was proficient in playing the piano and the alto saxophone. During her years in high school, she was a member of the band council, and the allstate bands and orchestras, where she played under the direction of the late Pete Long. While she was a member of the Big Blue Band, the Big Blue Band consistently won the Tri-State Band Award and during her senior year, she was honored as one of the instrumental music royalty.

Laurie excelled in every subject she studied. In junior year in high school, she was installed in the National Honor Society and by her senior year, she had also added the National Spanish Honor Society to her credits. It was hard for her closest friends to keep up with her consistent straight-A averages. She was even known as a “speed demon” in her business courses for taking notes in shorthand and in typing. She inspired many of her friends by always setting a good example, which she did with dignity and humility.

One of her long-time friends, Paula Carmack Denson, who spent many hours with her from grade school to senior high, recalls how much Laurie loved to visit her on Wednesday afternoons while Mrs. Hayen was at her beauty appointments across the street from Paula’s home. Laurie always loved eating the big bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches that became an enjoyable tradition between the two friends.

Laurie loved animals, especially her childhood dog, Cherokee (“Cherry”) plus many other pooches that came and stayed with her over the years. As a teen, Laurie and her friends would gather around the piano while Laurie played and sang Broadway songs. Often, she and her friends would participate in the practical jokes that Mrs. Hayen would teach the girls when they were out of school for the summer.

Bible study was important to Laurie in her adult years, and she was surrounded by loving friends who shared in those studies and who helped her in many ways as she worked to overcome physical disabilities that presented themselves as she grew older.

The joy of her life was her daughter, Amanda Jolene Martin, who resides in Norman. Together, the two enjoyed life, travel, and the gifts of life that each day presented.

Laurie was preceded in death by her parents, Harley Ray and Edna Koontz Hayen, husband Robert Smith, and her brother, Darrel Ray Hayen. She is survived by her daughter, Amanda Jolene “Mandy” Martin and many other beloved relatives and friends.

A memorial in Laurie Hufstedler’s name has been set up with Friends for Folks. org (inmate dog training program), 3334 W. Main, Suite 334, Norman, OK 73072-4805.

A celebration of life will be announced later.

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