Laura Faye Albritton, age 85, of Charlotte, NC passed away on 1-12-19 at White Oak Manor. She was born 4-27-33 in Limestone, FL where she lived until around 1950. She graduated from Andrew Jackson Senior High School in Jacksonville, FL on 6-2-52. She then attended the University of Florida where she earned an Associate of Arts degree from the College of Pharmacy. She also volunteered with the American Red Cross in 1952. She had many fond memories of family gatherings and funny stories from her Florida days, too many to tell here.

After college, she began her career as an underwriter at the Prudential Insurance Company in 1959 - 1961. During this time, she met her future husband, Edward J. Onsel, Jr. She moved from sunny Florida to chilly Ohio, where his family lives. They were married 11-25-1961 and lived in Fostoria, OH in the 1960s and early 1970s.

During those years, Laura became a loving mother to three children.

She began her banking career in the late 1970s, becoming a manager at Toledo, OH area banks. During this time, she earned a Diploma and Scholastic Achievement Award from the American Institute of Banking, was a Graduate of the Ohio School of Banking, and a Senior in Business Administration at Siena Heights University. Laura, along with two of her children, moved to Leesburg, VA in 1987 to be closer to her sister, Shirley Zylstra, and continue her banking career. In the mid-1990s, she lived with a son and his wife in Dallas, TX. Then in the mid-late 1990s, she moved to Coronado, CA to help Shirley with her antique pine furniture business. She retired in early 2000 and moved to Charlotte, NC, near her daughter's family.

Laura, or Faye as family calls her, was a self-proclaimed "tom boy" and an accomplished athlete in at least four sports, beginning with softball games on Sunday afternoons at her grandparents, Keat and Sula's, house. In 1970-71 Faye joined the "Fashion Wagon" ladies bowling team in Fostoria, OH. She was also known for her smooth and easy golf swing and in 1972, playing with three other men in her foursome, she won the 1972 Quinella Championship at Fostoria Country Club. Faye was also a member of the Findley, OH Racquet Club where she played tennis with a ladies league.

Faye is remembered with great love and admiration for her long, full life and as a daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. But everyone has ups and downs. Recent reminiscences through old boxes of photos and letters revealed several copies of the Prayer below. It has appeared in various places in recent months, including the original, found inexplicably at Dad's home on top of a large pile of records. She wrote it decades ago to help her through difficult times, so perhaps it's no accident that it's reappearing for us now. It also communicates her belief that we should pray for strength and guidance at all times.

The capital letters and underline are her emphasis...

A PRAYER

This day, wherever I go, whatever I do,
Help me remember you sent me and you are here too.
You've given so much to this unworthy child,
Now, I ask, not to be given more, only give me
Your help to achieve depth and dimension towards
A better understanding of myself, and my place in your world and of you.

Please help me put hostility and aggression behind me so that I may LOVE and be LOVED.

Let the warmth of love flow through my whole being,
As does blood through the veins, carrying with it the vitality a healthy body must have;
Just as it most have LOVE.

Help me, in my searching, to find peace, help me to find full appreciation of those so near to me.

Help me, I pray, to find control for a hostile tongue, and impatience.

Thou knowest my weaknesses better than I ------

That is why I pray, be with me and help me this day.

Laura Onsel

***

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on January 31st, 2020 at Ponger-Kays-Grady Funeral Home, 50 N. Hillsborough Ave. Arcadia, FL 34266 with Rev. Ellis Cross officiating. Inurnment will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.