Laura June (Gilstrap) Pruitt passed from this life and went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on February 23, 2024. Laura, 67, passed peacefully at her home in Fredericksburg, Texas surrounded by her loving family.

Laura was born in Hobbs, New Mexico on March 9, 1956. In 1972, Laura's family moved to Fort Sumner, New Mexico and Laura graduated from Ft. Sumner High School in 1974.

She went to college at New Mexico State University and received a two year secretarial degree. In 1978, she moved to Albuquerque, NM and worked for the BDM Corporation.

It was in Albuquerque that she met the love of her life, Norman Pruitt. Laura and Norman were married on June 2, 1979 in Fort Sumner. The couple made their home in Albuquerque where their first son, Ethan, was born in 1981. They moved to Ft. Sumner in 1983, and it was here that Laura and Norman were baptized together for the forgiveness of their sins and became Christians. It was also here that their second son, Jason, was born in 1984.

The Lord had new plans for the Pruitt family. They were led to Las Cruces, NM where Norman completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in education. Norman began teaching in Las Cruces. Laura, who always dreamed of being a wife and a mom, stayed home with the boys until they started school.

After living in Las Cruces for five years, Norman was offered a job with the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. In 1991 the Pruitt's were off to Osan AFB, South Korea. Laura worked for the remedial education department in one of the schools there. The Pruitt family was transferred to Okinawa, Japan in 1994 and spent the next twenty-five years on this beautiful island. During this time, Laura continued to work for the remedial education department and the CSC before becoming a School Registrar. She then advanced to the district office as registrar for all the schools on Okinawa and finished off her career by working at the Regional Superintendent's office. She retired in 2018.

Living overseas gave Laura and her family ample time for traveling and sightseeing. These were two of Laura's favorite things, and she became quite the travel bug. She enjoyed visiting various sites on mainland Japan and climbed Mount Fuji. She also traveled to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Macau, Guam, and set foot in North Korea when visiting the DMZ. Some of these trips included family members who came to visit Laura and Norman in Okinawa. Laura loved hosting family and showing them all the sights and beauty of her host country. Having summers off gave the family plenty of time to visit family around the country with numerous stops in Hawaii. Laura and Norm also visited Canada and Alaska.

Laura enjoyed opening her home up to military members both in South Korea and in Okinawa. Many of these men and women attended church where the Pruitt's did. Although some came as families, many of them were young, single, unaccompanied, and very lonely. Through the years she hosted Thanksgivings, New Year's parties, pot lucks, game nights and other events to very grateful service members.

Typhoons were a way of life on Okinawa and in the nearby Philippines. Laura helped gather, box, and ship clothes and other essential items to typhoon victims in the PI. She helped support missionaries in Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. She also helped Norm and his classes box and ship goody boxes to U.S. service members in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. She was a regular contributor to Mercy Ships.

Besides traveling and exploring, Laura loved to go beach combing and hunting for Japanese glass fishing floats. She liked snorkeling, ocean kayaking, exploring tide pools, hiking, and learning other languages. She also loved being around her kids and grandkids.

In 2019, Norman retired and they lived in Las Cruces for a few years before moving to Fredericksburg. Laura was preceded in death by her parents, James and Rowena Gilstrap.

She is survived by Norman, her loving husband of 44 years. She is also survived by a son Ethan, his wife Shuko, and children Leah and Ryan; a son Jason, his wife Stacey, and children Dylan and Avalyn. Also surviving are her sister, Cathy; a brother, James and his wife, Gwyneth; and a sister, Roberta and her husband, Tim. She also leaves behind many other family members and a host of friends.

A private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be given in her memory to Methodist Hill Country Hospice in Fredericksburg or to a charity of your choice.