06/04/2026
Laurie Dale Luna, 70, of Pontiac, died peacefully at Hospice of the Ozarks Hospice House in Mountain Home, Arkansas, of complications from Dementia on June 3, 2026. A celebration of life will be held at a future date to be announced.
Laurie was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on April 1, 1956, to J.D. and Joan McCoy. Her father was from Pittsburgh and worked as an engineer for DuPont, and her mother grew up on Long Island. Due to her father’s work, Laurie attended eight schools in 12 years, mainly in the south. Growing up, she spent hours tinkering and assisting her father in his many workshop projects. She attended high school in Brownsville, Texas, before receiving her degree in construction management at Oklahoma State University in 1980, a rare accomplishment for a female at that time. In fact, Oklahoma Historical Society published a picture of her in 1976, standing poolside, and described her as an “Oklahoma State swimmer and the only woman majoring in construction management” at OSU. OSU held a special place in Laurie’s heart long after graduation, and she was particularly proud to share her alma mater with her daughter, Ryan Dale Carson, who just earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from there this spring.
Upon graduation from OSU, Laurie was employed at Bateson Construction in Dallas, Texas, working on such notable projects as the Myerson Symphony Center and Arco Towers. Later, she was employed by Hoffend and Sons, a Rochester, New York firm specializing in the manufacture and installation of theatrical rigging. While in New York, Laurie worked on projects in Argentina, Europe and Universal Studios, among others. In 1993, she was sent to, you guessed it, Branson, to assist in the construction of the Wayne Newton theatre, a 6-month assignment. As fate would have it, she met Larry Luna there, and they were married in April 1996, in Las Vegas, with Wayne and Kat Newton present. Larry said he married her because she had a better toolbox, and she actually knew how to use it. So just like that, the girl who never had roots spent the next 30 years calling the Missouri Ozarks home. The remainder of her professional career was spent in the Springfield area, working at Killian Construction, Flintco Construction, and the Springfield School system.
Throughout her life, Laurie was a leader, earning recognition as Springfield Woman of the Year in construction along with numerous other awards. She was a charter member and eventual President of the Springfield chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). She organized NAWIC members to mentor and inspire young women at the Delmina Woods Division of Youth Services facility in Christian County. Stubborn? Could be. Persistent? Always. Unyielding? When necessary. She had a way of endearing those around her with a magnetic smile and words of encouragement, while instilling a ‘can-do’ attitude. She was a trailblazer in an industry largely void of women at the time. Laurie was active in Girl Scouts until adulthood. As an 11-year-old Girl Scout, she saved her buddy who was struck by lightning at a Girl Scout camp in North Carolina. Those actions earned her an appearance on NPR some 50 years later. She was athletic, always pushing herself to be the best she could. She was a member of the OSU swim team competing in the Big 8 Conference and enjoyed the camaraderie at her swim team reunions in Stillwater each fall. She also competed in several triathlons as an adult. At one point, she and Larry even became regular golfers. A somewhat short-lived hobby, as Larry quit soon after Laurie established herself as the better golfer; ditto goes for tennis. Larry learned to never compete against a lady who owns her own bowling ball and snow skis.
Laurie loved animals and truly enjoyed her cats, dogs and horses. She and Larry competed in the Foxtrotter show ring for almost 25 years and enjoyed breeding, training, raising and trail riding their favorite horses. She served two years as show manager at the Mid America Foxtrotters’ two-year-old futurity show. Once, at Ava while practicing, she was thrown from her horse and did a somersault in the air, landing on her back. Larry rushed over and asked what she was going to do, to which she replied, after wiping away the tears, “I’m going to get back on her!” Frank Sinatra’s song ‘My Way’ perfectly encapsulates Laurie’s life and career. “Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all, and I stood tall–and did it my way.”
Laurie is survived by her husband Larry Luna; daughter Ryan Dale Carson and husband (Cody) of Stillwater, Oklahoma; grandchildren Cohen, Cooper and Ayesleigh; sister Skye Alexander of Kerrville, Texas; brother Matt McCoy and wife (Raylene) of Leonard, Texas; niece and nephew Morgan Perkins and Zach Reuther of Hendersonville, North Carolina; stepchildren Megan Werner and husband (Patrick) of Kirkwood; Blake Luna and wife (Natalie) of Kirkwood; and step grandchildren Chaney and Keaton Werner; Andie and Brady Luna.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Martha Perkins and Kathy McCoy.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Arrangements are under the direction of Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Gainesville.
This obituary will be published in the June 10, 2026, edition of the Ozark County Times.
