Delora Meads McLaughlin

Delora Meads Mclaughlin of Fairhope, Alabama passed away on December 24, 2022, after an extended illness. Delora was preceded in death by her son Stephen Mclaughlin of Leeds, AL. She is survived by her son Brian Mclaughlin of Birmingham, AL. Born January 9, 1938 in Leeds, AL, Delora attended Leeds City Schools, graduating in 1956. She would go on to attend Nursing school at Jefferson State, and begin her nursing career at Leeds Hospital. She then moved to Baptist Medical Center Montclair (now Trinity Hospital) in Birmingham, where she would continue to pursue her love of Emergency Department nursing. While there she received a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in Nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She then went on to St. Charles Hospital in New Orleans, and later Hancock Medical Center (Ochsner Health Hancock) of Bay St. Louis, MS, all the while continuing in Emergency Department nursing. As a young woman Delora had dreamed of becoming a Doctor. That dream was deferred early in her studies at the University of Alabama, when her parents passed away. She chose to leave school to raise her younger siblings, and to assure that they got the best start in adult life she could offer. It was during that time that she gave birth to her 2 sons, and began her studies in nursing when her sons were fully involved students in the Leeds City Schools. Her dream of becoming a Doctor never materialized but she found her career in emergency department nursing to be incredibly rewarding, with hands on contact of patients who were often in severe crisis. After retiring from Hancock Medical Center (Ochsner) Delora lived in the Bay St. Louis area, then moved to Oak Island, NC, and later to Fairhope, AL. In retirement she enjoyed being active in her church, and spending time with friends and her family. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. ARRANGEMENTS BY WOLFE-BAYVIEW FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY, INC. 19698 GREENO RD. FAIRHOPE AL. 36532 (251) 990-7775