Laura McClay Passes Away

    Laura A. McClay, 66, a retired U.S. Navy Captain and nurse practitioner, died of cancer Oct. 31 at her home in Severna Park, Md. 
    Laura was born in Salzburg, Austria to Dorothy and Ferdinand Richter. As a child, she lived with her family, including two brothers and a sister, in California, Texas and St. Louis, Mo. A military family, they also lived in Kentucky and Colorado. She attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in St. Louis and Avila College in Kansas City, where she received a bachelor's degree in nursing. She received her master's degree in Trauma Critical Care from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 1988. There, she also directed and taught courses. She received a post-graduate degree in Primary Care, Family Nurse Practitioner, from Bowie State University in 2003. Laura joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1974 as a clinical nurse. Her activated reserve included serving at the Bethesda Naval Hospital during Desert Shield/Storm in 1991; two tours on the USNS Comfort, where she provided critical care education; and at the Bethesda Naval Hospital during Iraqi Freedom in 2004. She was on active duty for Charleston Naval Hospital's ICU from 1974 to 1978. Laura began her career as a registered nurse at Anne Arundel Medical Center's Emergency Room and ICU, where worked for 32 years. She served as a Family Nurse Practitioner for Righttime Care in Davidsonville, Md., from 2004 to 2013 and for Express Care Urgent Care Centers in Bel Air, Md., from 2013 to 2017. She was an active parishioner of St. John's the Evangelist in Severna Park, where served in various ministries. She also attended weekly Miles Christi Faith Formation meetings. Laura prioritized her family time. She planned numerous family vacations around the country. She was an avid painter, having painted her family's annual Christmas cards. Throughout her life she enjoyed cross stitching, sewing, and gardening.         She is survived by her husband Timothy S. McClay; a daughter, Rebecca L. McClay; two sons, Ryan M. McClay and Daniel P. McClay; and two grandchildren, Hunter and Claire; her siblings Sharon, Larry and Bob. 
    Family and friends may visit on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at Barranco & Sons, P.A. Severna Park Funeral Home, 495 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD, 21146. A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 10am at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 689 Ritchie Hwy, Severna Park, MD, 21146. A visitation will be held in Kansas on November 12 with a funeral mass and interment on November 13th. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Miles Christi, 25300 Johns Road, South Lyon, MI 48178-8933 (www.mileschristi.org/donations), or Hospice of the Chesapeake (www.hospicechesapeake.org/giving).