Laura Mae Duby

Laura Mae Duby was born March 13, 1980, in Youngstown, Ohio to Michael and Nancy Duby. Heaven welcomed her on July 3, 2023.

Laura was born with Downs Syndrome and the doctors said she would never walk, talk, or be able to function on her own. With the help of her mother Nancy, little did they know how she would blossom. Laura was very high-functioning and enjoyed life to the fullest. She loved the movie Titanic and would watch it over and over. She also enjoyed R&B music and was always up for a fun party with family and friends. Most often you would see Laura with her makeup on, her nails done, pretty jewelry and carrying a backpack purse. But the one thing that brought so much joy to Laura was her nieces and nephews who she referred to as her “special babies”. Laura lived in an independent living home and she always told her mom it was like “going off to college”. She had two roommates and her great care was provided by Bios. When she knew she was going to have visitors she would ask them to bring her a soda, or money so she could buy her own soda. Laura was very special to everyone she knew.

Laura was preceded in death by her father, Michael James Duby; brother, Shawn Williams; stepfathers, Daniel Santiago, Donnie Eaton; nieces, Shauna Wheeler and Elizabeth Wheeler.

She is survived by her loving parents, Rick and Nancy Grissom; sisters, Angel Board and husband Ernest, Jeanette Jones and husband Frank, Ashley Johnson and husband Arron, and Sherilyn Duby; brothers, Jon Duby, Kevin Williamson, Jessie Duby, Michael James Duby Jr., and Chad Duby; stepmother Sue Duby; and a host of family and friends.

A foundation is being created in memory of Laura to further the study of silent seizures with hope of creating a mechanism to detect them.