Laura Tillman Endsley

Laura Tillman Endsley, 84, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was a retired Lieutenant with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. She was born October 1, 1931, and was a graduate of Northeast Louisiana University (ULM) with a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Laura died Friday, September 30, 2016. Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, October 4, 2016 at the First United Methodist Church, located on Loop Road, Monroe, Louisiana with Rev. Matthew Cunningham and Dr. Lynn Malone officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday in the Parlor of the Church.

Survivors include daughters, Julia Tipton and husband Barry of Monroe, LA and Dr. Jane Wilson and husband Dr. Edwin Wilson of Norman, OK; nieces, Michaele Price and husband Lynn, and Margaret Osteen; grandchildren, Amy Kovalchick, Patrick Anderson, Amanda Strong, Morgan Stultz, Zac Lee, Dane Strong and Jessica Ritter; ten great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and special friend, Tyra Norman.

Laura was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Endsley; daughter, Skippy Schneider; great grandson, Gunner Williams; parents, Ed and Ruby Tillman; sisters, Christine Reed and Margaret (Patsy) Osteen; brother, Edward Tillman; nephew, Butch Tillman; and niece, Drucilla Steger.

Laura was a member of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office for thirty years, where she earned the rank of Lieutenant, and served on the Pension and Relief Board in Baton Rouge for the greater part of those thirty years. In addition to working for the Sheriff’s Office, Laura was an instructor at Northeast Louisiana University (ULM) where, for almost ten years, she taught Criminal Justice. She was also a GED instructor at the Ouachita Parish Correctional Center, where she helped inmates achieve their High School equivalency. Laura loved her students and encouraged them to never stop learning. She was an avid believer in never being too old to learn, and make it a point to learn something new every day.

While attending the University of Denver, Laura met her future husband who was in the Air Force stationed in Colorado. After her marriage, Laura had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the United States, including a road trip with her husband and two daughters from Fairbanks, Alaska to Tampa, Florida. After retirement, Laura took advantage of being able to travel whenever she wanted, often visiting her granddaughter in Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and Honolulu, Hawaii, in addition to several trips to Sanibel Island, Florida where she loved collecting sea shells.

Laura was also extremely creative, and encouraged creativity in her children. Her daughters had the advantage of taking every opportunity available to learn music, art, and dance. She was a master seamstress who made beautiful clothing for her three girls, in addition to having the uncanny ability of taking the most mundane materials and turning them into extraordinary works of art.

Wherever my Mother went, it seemed she would always run into someone she knew. People would run up and give her a big hug and tell her how happy they were to see her. She made a huge impact on so many lives. She would go out of her way to help a retiree, even after she was retired, or work with a student who was struggling. She treasured her time at the Sheriff’s Department, and the many people she worked with, and she treasured her time at NLU where she loved all of her students.