Laura Lynn Six
Laura Lynn Six, age 61, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2018 at Serenity House in Santa Barbara, CA.
Laura was born to Gene and Phyllis Paige Six on April 20th, 1957 in Pasadena, CA, middle sister to brothers Brian and Neil. Always an excellent student, she was a National Merit Scholar and won a California State Scholarship.
Laura graduated from UCSB with a BA in Business Economics. In 1980 she married Richard Stallings. Her proudest moments were the births of their two children, Megan Alyssa and Alec Ramsay. Laura spent the last 17 years of a multi-faceted business career at QAD (a global software company), rising to the position of Director, Business Systems Architecture.
She was not shy about her health history. Between 1998 and 2008 Laura experienced recurring meningioma—brain tumors. Eventually she was forced into early retirement at age 52.
Laura moved from Ojai to Santa Barbara in 2009, and began life anew. Looking for meaningful ways to occupy her time and form new relationships, she became a docent at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and served as a volunteer at Jodi House—a day facility for brain-injured adults. Laura found a spiritual community at the Unitarian Society, where she met her partner, Sayre Macneil.
Laura was a model of gracious acceptance and fortitude. She steadfastly managed the care of her aging parents, followed her son’s music and culinary careers, delighted in her daughter’s success in the food industry, and was a loving “step-mother” to Sayre’s daughter Samantha.
Laura was known to those in her life to be loving, thoughtful, passionate, and fiercely independent. She loved music, art and poetry and encouraged her children and those around her to pursue their creative passions. Her culinary prowess was legendary and her creativity and care was obvious at every meal she served. She strove to live with lots of love, laughs and little regret. She led by example and inspired those around her. Refusing to let obstacles diminish her excitement for each new chapter of life, Laura found strength in the thought that “Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened.”
Laura is survived by her partner Sayre Macneil, her children Megan Stallings (Riley Simonds) and Alec Stallings (Meaghan Hoyt), Sayre’s daughter Samantha, brothers Brian Six and Neil Six (Patricia), nephews and nieces and numerous cousins, as well as many close friends. She was greatly loved, and will be deeply missed.
Laura’s family wishes to thank the staff and volunteers from Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care and Serenity House for their loving care for Laura and their kind support of her family and friends.
Celebration of Laura’s Life will be held on Friday November 2 at 4:00 pm, at the Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara, 1535 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Laura’s name may be sent to Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center (www.jodihouse.org) and Serenity House (www.vnhcsb.org/serenity-house).