Laura Jean Sanders, 60, of Helena, MT passed away on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at her home surrounded by family and friends. Laura fought a valiant 3 ½ year battle against ovarian cancer with every ounce of strength she had. Her courage and determination to live were unmatched. She loved life and was keen to enjoy every minute to the fullest. Her beautiful smile, awesome laugh, and joyful presence lit up the world.

Laura was born in Helena on April 14, 1965, to R. Neil and Carol Sanders. She attended Helena schools and went on to earn degrees in french and history from the University of Montana and a pharmacy degree from UM's School of Pharmacy. She worked at St. Peter's Hospital and the VA Medical Center, retiring in 2022. Though her pharmacist work was important, her years working at Bert & Ernie's were the ones she spoke most fondly of.

Laura was an incredibly loving, intelligent, fun, interesting, and curious person. She cherished the outdoors, where she hiked, camped, skied, fished, kayaked, biked, canoed, gardened, and gathered berries and wildflowers. She spent numerous seasons as a hotshot firefighter, putting herself through school. She was well-traveled, both stateside and abroad, and soaked in all the experiences different areas and cultures offered. She was talented and imaginative, and enjoyed creating, admiring, and purchasing art in various mediums, cooking, baking, and music. She appreciated fine wine and was an avid reader, relishing discussions on  books and authors, and generously sharing and swapping her favorites. She was an enthusiastic collector of Christmas ornaments, and every one of them hung on her tree. Laura was passionate about animals and spent countless hours working on pet calendars and other projects to benefit them.

Above all, Laura was a giver. It is anybody's guess how many handmade birthday cards she sent each year, always with a unique picture or funny doodle, making the recipient feel special, loved, and appreciated. Her Christmas list was a mile long and she was devoted to fulfilling it! She was a prolific producer of handwritten letters and never failed to send sweet and thoughtful thank you notes, usually with letters or pictures cut from magazines as embellishments and sometimes accompanied by a jar of her delicious homemade jam. Postcards from around the world or constructed from a cereal box would show up in your mailbox, eliciting smiles and laughter. Laura was an amazing aunt, doting on her nieces from the day they were born, and they adored her. She had mad sewing skills, and crafted quilts and other exquisite items for family and friends, volunteered to assist with weddings, fundraisers, parties, showers, decorations and wherever else her profuse talents would benefit others. She received recognition from the forest service for remembering and celebrating all the crew members' birthdays and for being an overall morale booster for the team. Laura maintained friendships (a monumental amount of them) with people from every season of her life, from elementary school through recent times. She nurtured relationships, always checking in with concern and care. A lot of people considered themselves Laura's best friend, because she made them feel that way with her giving spirit, uplifting encouragement, and singular attention. These treasured friends showed up in droves to support Laura during her illness and last moments, letting her know what a blessing she was to them. Her family is forever grateful to all who were so dedicated and consistently present throughout the challenges. There are way too many to name, but you know who you are.

If you were lucky enough to know Laura Sanders, you are lucky enough.

Laura is survived by her mother, Carol Sanders, her brother Mike (Patty) Sanders, nieces Beth (Cory) Graham and Kelly Sanders, great-niece Farrah Graham and great-nephews Finley and Fischer Graham. She also leaves behind numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and a plethora of remarkable friends. She was preceded in death by her father, R. Neil Sanders, and special Aunt, Ginny Malm.

A funeral mass for Laura will be celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Helena, 530 N Ewing St, on Tuesday, September 9th at 12:00 p.m. Her Celebration of Life will follow that afternoon at  Shades of Green, 3403 Cooney Dr, from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. Please wear your favorite color and bring a wildflower bouquet to brighten the venue. Be sure to leave with a bouquet brought by someone else, ensuring the love and sharing shown by Laura throughout her life continues. For those interested, bring a copy of your favorite photo(s) of/with Laura (framed or unframed) to put on the memory table to reminisce about with others.

Memorial donations suggested to Prickly Pear Land Trust or the Lewis & Clark Humane Society, two of Laura Lou's favorites.