Mickey Laukhuff Walker's Obituary
Mickey Laukhuff Walker March 2, 1922 – February 9, 2011 Funeral services for Mickey Laukhuff Walker, 88 of Destin, FL who died on February 9, 2011 at Natchez Regional Medical Center in Natchez, MS will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 14 in Memphis, TN with Rev. Mark Goble officiating.Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery under the direction of Memorial Park.Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 13 at Memorial Park and from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. preceding the ceremony at Christ the King Lutheran Church, on Monday, February 14. She was born on March 2, 1922 in Potts Camp, MS, daughter of Bufford Ethurl Nolen and Thelma Gladys Tucker Nolen. Mrs. Walker was preceded in death by her parents; four sisters, Ilene Grohman and husband Joe, Marvis Crumpton and husband Rubert, Alice O’Bannon and Ethleen Schmittou and husband Joseph, husbands, Ralph L. Laukhuff, Sr. and William H. Walker and daughter-in-law, Karla Marie Laukhuff. Survivors include one son, Ralph L. Laukhuff, Jr. of Vidalia, LA; three (3) grandchildren, Ralph Lewis “Randy” Laukhuff III and wife, Bethaney of Lafayette, LA, Kari Marie Blaney and husband, Charles “Kippy” of Ferriday, LA and Brittny Marie Laukhuff of Boston, MA; seven (7) great-grandchildren, Chad Laukhuff, Christian Leggett, Charles Leggett and Gary Leggett of Lafayette, LA, Chase Laukhuff of Starkville, MS, Emily Farmer and husband, Cade, Chad Blaney and wife, Angele, of Natchez, MS and Wesley Blaney and wife, Robyn of Vidalia, LA; and two (2) great-great-grandchildren, Silas Blaney of Natchez, MS and Selah Blaney of Vidalia, LA. Pallbearers will be Chase Laukhuff, Chad Laukhuff, Christian Leggett, Charles Leggett, Gary Leggett and Ronald Mc Coach. Mickey Laukhuff is probably most well known for her work with stained glass. During WWII, Mickey ground prisms for bombsights and in doing so she found her “true love” was working with glass. After the war, she worked for Binswanger Glass Company’s Stained Glass Studio in Memphis TN and in 1960 fulfilled her dream of having her own company when she started Laukhuff Stained Glass. She developed a talent for blending the texture and colors of glass and lead into a unique business. She created beautiful pieces of art for churches, homes, offices, restaurants, and hotels all over the world. Some of her patrons included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Rhodes College, and Elvis Presley, who had pieces commissioned for his beloved Graceland. Creating unique pieces of art for churches and other places of worship provided Mickey with an opportunity to work with clergy and laypeople of all religions and faiths while creating a legacy of beautiful pieces of art for years to come. A founding member of the Society of Entrepreneurs, Ms. Laukhuff Walker was the first woman to own a stained glass company in the United States. For Mickey, entrepreneurship was all about passing on the spirit; giving young people and others an incentive to reach their potential through their dreams, ideas, talents, hard work and ambitions. . . making this a better world to live in. She gave of her time and talents to many organizations throughout Memphis, including the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Memphis Symphony League, the Child Advocacy Center, the Pink Palace Museum, and the Memphis Arts Council, just to name a few. For her business and philanthropic efforts she was recognized in May 1973 by The World Who’s Who of Women for her Distinguished Achievements. Also known around Memphis as the lady in pink, a color she loved so much that she drove a pink Lincoln and sported pink golf clubs. She sold her business in 1986 and later retired to Destin, FL where she continued her charitable work throughout the community donating her works of art to the Sacred Heart Hospital Chapel and the Community Church of Destin. She will be laid to rest at Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, TN next to her first husband. She will rest below a unique marble monument in the form of a church with stained glass windows that she designed and had built. Since its erection, the monument has become a recognized feature of Elmwood. The monument celebrates the spirit of her life and work with an inscription that reads, “All things are possible with the help of God.” Online condolences may be sent to Memorial Park Funeral Home at www.memorialparkonline.com In lieu of flowers, if desired, contributions may be made to the Brooks Art Gallery, St. Jude Hospital or charity of choice.
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