Dr. Laura Anne Marcoullier 1971 - 2021

With great sadness, the family of Dr. Laura Anne Marcoullier announces her passing on March 2, 2021, at the age of 49. Laura passed away at her home and will be lovingly remembered by her son, Kole, and her mother, Monique, as well as numerous friends, her staff, patients and the McMinnville community.

Laura was born in Lakenheath, England, to Monique Marcoullier née Tisirone and Master Sgt. Charles Marcoullier, while Charles was in the U.S. Air Force. As a military family, they moved and traveled frequently, spending time in England, France, southern California, Virginia and New Mexico, before coming to her beloved green forests.

One of Laura’s favorite memories of her time in France as a child was rising early in the morning to the smell of freshly baked croissants made by her mother’s family. Ever since, she had a particular predilection for hot, fresh breakfasts, paired, of course, with the occasional mimosa. The family moved to San Bernardino, California, where Laura rode horses and developed a fondness for palominos. Later, the family moved near Washington, D.C., where Laura started a long journey of scholastic excellence.

The family finally settled in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where Laura went to high school. Here she played the flute in the band, earning first chair. Coming from the more formal East Coast, it was a bit of culture shock.

Here she had her first car, first boyfriend, and first dances. She fell in love with country music and dancing, the two-step in particular. Although she skipped a fair amount of classes, she still managed to graduate with high honors, much to the chagrin of some school faculty. She went on to major in biology at New Mexico State University, NMSU, again graduating with honors in 1995. She was always interested in healthcare and serving patients, working as an assistant for local doctors and dentists while attending school. She served in the ROTC, initially envisioning a military career like her father. At NMSU, she met her future husband, Douglas, and together they moved to Portland, where she attended dental school at OHSU.

She had many offers from other dental schools, though fell in love with the deep green forests, swift rivers, pristine beaches and snowy mountains of Oregon. While in dental school, she knew she had found her calling, thoroughly enjoying the artistry, craft and science of dentistry. For fun, she used her skills to make rings and other jewelry. She made several close friends in dental school, enjoying the city and the slopes together. During dental school, she gave birth to her son, Kole, though she was far enough ahead in her classes that she graduated on time. This is more extraordinary, as OHSU demands so much work from their dental students that if their grades are high enough, they are able to get loans for practices immediately after graduation. Of course, she graduated with honors.

Laura looked at many practices and became enamored with the town of McMinnville, Oregon, and making it her home. She bought a practice from Dr. Harry Cure, put her artistic touches on it, and has made it her own for the past 20 years. Her passion, warmth and easy laughter made her popular with patients and staff alike. She always managed to make patients smile, and then made those smiles perfect.

She loved animals, filling her house with cockatiels, cats and horses. Eventually, she bought one of those beloved palominos, reminiscent of her childhood. Watching it prance in the pasture, teasing it with apples, then watching it hungrily devour a few, gave her joy. She had a special relationship with her fuzzy unathletic cat, Pudding, who would come only when Laura would call and, to her pleasure, only used the toilet.

Laura was generous to the community and cherished it. She donated to local children’s teams and schools, and patronized local restaurants and venues whenever possible. When patients' stories touched her heart, she would fix them pro bono, even paying for materials out of her own pocket. She was friends with her staff, taking them on vacations and out on the town. She left us too soon, and that warm presence and spirit will be missed.

We welcome the community to her memorial service to be held at 1:00 p.m. March 28, 2021, at the Chapel of Macy & Son, 135 N.E. Evans Street, McMinnville, OR 97128. Please make any charitable donations to America's ToothFairy. To leave condolences, visit www.macyandson.com.