Laurentine V. Wallach, 62, of Crestwood, MO passed away on January 23, 2025, after a 4+ years valiant battle with ovarian cancer. Beloved wife of Darryl Wallach of 29 years. Laurentine (Laurie) was born on January 21, 1963, to Shirley VanGilder and to the late Robert E. VanGilder.
She is survived by her beloved spouse, Darryl; her mother Shirley; her brother Robert J. VanGilder; Uncle Roy DeClue; brother-in-law/sister-in-law Jerry & Barbara Wallach; Daniel & Alice Woodruff; Dennis and late Debbie Wallach; brother-in-law Glenn Wallach; dear aunt and great aunt; cousin and friend to many.
Laurie worked at SSM Health for 37 years, retiring on November 29, 2024. Even though her disease continued to progress while under hospice care since November 1, she continued to work. One of her finest accomplishments was receiving the 2024 Mission in Motion Award at SSM Health for being an exceptional team member who embodies SSM Health’s Mission in Motion Award at SSM Health for being an exceptional team member who embodies SSM Health’s Mission, Vision and Values and unmistakable commitments to revealing God’s healing presence. She was loved by her co-workers with a smiling presence, was a positive influence, beacon of sunshine, hope and encouragement; someone who had the knack of turning around what might be a hostile discussion into a joyful environment.
She was a “Crestwood only” supporter. During her husband’s Crestwood Aldermanic terms there were many times of wanting family/friends’ outings at Crestwood. Laurie loved life but more importantly loved family. Shirley and I will miss our drives along Grants Farm admiring the beautiful, majestic Clydesdales.
Visitation will be held on February 15 at 10:00 am at Ascension Lutheran Church; 5347 Donovan Ave., St. Louis, MO with service to follow at 12:00 pm; followed by Times of Sharing at 12:45 pm; luncheon will follow in Ascension’s cafeteria.
Laurie was passionate about animals especially dogs and horses. She loved Celine Dion and famous for her Thomas Kincade cards. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Humane Society of Missouri or Long Meadow Rescue Ranch.
Dear friend, co-worker and alumni of “Miss HickeySchool” which always made us laugh, thank you for all of the above. You were truly kind, funny, loyal and forgiving and will always have a place in my heart of people I admire. You fought a good fight dear friend and YOU made me a better person for having known you. Knowing you are not on this earth breaks my heart but I know it was time for you to rest in Gods good graces and we will meet again. RIP
Dear Family
Laure was a wonderful person. I enjoyed working with her. May God bring you comfort. I am deeply saddened and sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Mary Prince
The world feels dimmer without your bright smile. I have never met a kinder soul than Laurie. Soft spoken at times she truly would always give her best in every situation even when she was unsure of what to do.
Dependable, I could always count on her to send a heartfelt card or gift to cheer me when I felt down. Helpful, she was always available to lend a helping hand. He positive attitude was uniquely positive and warm. Spiritual, her faith never wavered. She always looked for the good even when times were really difficult, when her body was betraying her, she held onto hope, and I admired that so much about her. I seek solace in the memories I shared with her. Laurie’s departure from this world was too soon. It is a reminder to me to cherish every moment we have with those we hold dear. Tomorrow isn’t promised, make loved ones a priority.
ALWAYS remember……You are braver than you believe, STRONGER than you seem and SMARTER than you think but most importantly you are LOVED. I’ll miss you my coworker, my friend. Biggest hugs and all the best juju. I will see you again in heaven one day, save me a seat at your table.
My dear caring friend and colleague, Laurie I will think of you and miss you dearly until my last breath! Your positive energy will take decades to disappeared from this earth IF it ever does. I’m heartbroken :(, but I take pleasure in knowing you are not suffering anymore, you are in Heaven watching us and resting in Gods lap eternal peace. I love you my friend! Dami. Laurie always called me DAMI.
To her Family and closest Friends,
I am very sorry for what you must be going through. I only had the privilege of knowing her for a couple of years but she certainly made a huge impact on me.
Kind, Considerate, Compassionate, Honest…. just a few of the many reasons she will be missed. She made me feel welcome the moment I arrived on her team.
May Loving Light guide her journey and warm your hearts with sweet memories.
I was one of Laurie’s nurses during a lot of her treatment !! She was one of my most special patients and truly was a warrior throughout her illness !! Regardless of how she felt, she had the most positive attitude and was a true blessing to take care of .. lSo many hugs and so many prayers to her whole family !! I was truly honored and blessed to take of Laurie ❤️❤️🙏🏻
Laurie was a real bright spot at CGCH Lab.
She was always nice, funny and a great listener. RIP Laurie you will be missed
Laurie and I go way back to our steak shake days thou we lost contact many years ago remembering all the good laughs we had. She always had a smile on her face till we meet again friend 😔 Diane
Laurie was such a great lady! She is so missed already. Lovely friend and co-worker. Always positive and friendly. She always used to say, you have a beautiful soul but that is the best definition of her. Her love for Darryl, her mom, her brother and her babies/pets is truly inspiring. Love that lady. ❤️
Laurie was such a pleasure to work with. She was always positive. If I was having a bad day just talking to her would make my day better. She was a cheer leader to a lot of people. I will miss chatting with her and talking to her. I will always have a special place in my heart for her.
I’ll miss how you had concern for all people in your life.. you always took time to check on on all your friends when when they had problems, even though you were going through issues. I’ll miss watching BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL on your lunch. I’ll miss our conversation about our fur babies. I’m going to miss a wonderful, caring and loving friendship over 25 + years that carried over from Cardinal Glennon days. I thank God for having placed you in my life and others that you touched… Rest In Heaven Dear Friend