Born in Chicago on Jan. 24, 1945, to Lois (Tatter) and Samuel Rutherford McDill, a Baptist minister, Laurel Ruth (McDill) Gephart M.A. ’94 spent her childhood in the Chicago area. The family moved to Watsonville in 1961, where Laurel graduated from Watsonville High School in 1963. In April 1964, she married Bruce D. Gephart of Dolton, Illinois. They settled in Illinois and raised two children. In 1975 the family moved to Morgan Hill. Laurel received a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University and later a master’s in education from SCU. Laurel worked in elementary education in the Morgan Hill school district. She loved shaping young minds and being in the classroom. Laurel taught at El Toro Elementary until she retired in 2013 after almost 30 years in the classroom. She attended Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church for four decades and was fortunate to have had many opportunities to travel the world on church-related mission and family vacations. Laurel lived in Morgan Hill from 1975 to 2017. In 2017, she moved to Williamsport, Tennessee, to be closer to her son, Stephen, and his family. She entered the kingdom of heaven on Dec. 06, 2018, after a courageous battle with colon cancer. She is survived by her son, Stephen (Nola) Gephart of Franklin and their four children, Garrett, Brett, Trent, and Nola K.; her daughter Laura (Daniel) Libby of Orcutt, California, and their four children, Wesley, Arielle, Destiny, and Michael; her sister Carol (Robert) Misson; and brother Brik (Lynn) McDill.