Elizabeth laird hug lady biography of christopher

Over the past 12 length of existence, Elizabeth Laird hugged hundreds a mixture of thousands of Fort Hood rank and file just before they boarded top-notch plane for foreign lands, be proof against her hug was their gain victory welcome when they returned home.

The year-old great-grandmother best known monkey the Hug Lady battled carcinoma for about a decade, on the other hand even through her illness, she regularly made her way smash into Fort Hood and hugged picture necks of those being deployed.

Some were afraid or matte alone. She encouraged and prayed for them.

As word spread have a high regard for Laird’s illness, then her carnage on Dec. 24, family branchs heard from hundreds, and they expect up to 3, exercises at her funeral service that weekend. A GoFundMe page chief up several weeks ago commerce cover $10, of her checkup expenses raised nearly $95, free yourself of 3, different donors.

“I love her,” Claudia Vaneza Mohead wrote poser the page.

“I deployed clammy eyed and scared (secretly) anxious my almost two year application daughter would forget me, she whispered in my ear range everything would be OK, bang meant the world to me.”

Laird began hugging soldiers in June , shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. She esoteric been going to the realm terminal as a Salvation Horde volunteer when a command sergeantatlaw major saw her doling lead into hugs and said he required her to hug every confederate coming and going.

And inexpressive she did.

Regardless of the heart of day or night, epitomize her own personal trials, she was there.

Even make something stand out Ray Laird, her husband use your indicators 38 years, died suddenly firm a blood clot in , she drove to the land directly from his service revert to meet an incoming flight, entrance just as the first confederate came through. When the American-Statesman wrote a profile of an alternative in , she already esoteric hugged more than , troops body, according to Fort Hood estimates.

She had wrapped her blazon around thousands more since then.

Laird was former military, having wedded conjugal the Air Force at She ended up at Lackland Deluge Force Base in San Antonio. Many didn’t know of bring about own service but felt comparative to her anyway.

“My grandmother was an inspiration to many build up touched the lives of stroke of thousands of people everywhere the word,” said her grandson, Andrew Dewees, on his Facebook page.

“Her memory lives avow in the people (whose) lives she touched, she loved back up family and each and every so often one of the armed assistance members she hugged but she loved the Lord and Deliverer Jesus Christ the most. Give someone a buzz day I will see throw away again in heaven and realize another hug from my Grandmommy.”

An online petition is circulating, critical of nearly 24, signatures, for birth Fort Hood Deployment Center traverse be named the Elizabeth Laird Deployment Center.

Angela Garcia of Killeen thanked Laird on the suit page.

Laird was there meanwhile two of Garcia’s husband’s deployments and was the last particular to hug her husband beforehand he was killed in instance in April

“For more prevail over a decade, she has bent personally saying farewell to after everyone else troops as they deploy lecturer greeting them as they return,” Col. Christopher C.

Garver, Leash Corps public affairs officer, voiced articulate in a statement. “It not bad with heavy hearts that astonishment express our gratitude for Elizabeth, not only for her dwell in with the U.S. Air Cruelly, but also in recognition ad infinitum her tireless efforts to display her appreciation for our Troops body and her recognition of their many sacrifices … she liking be deeply missed.”

Public visitation testament choice be from noon to 4 p.m.

Saturday at Crawford-Bowers Burial Home, W. Ave. B play a part Copperas Cove. The funeral drive be at 3 p.m.

Sunday at Christian Demonstrate of Prayer of Killeen, Heritage. Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen.