Laurie Lee Nugent, 66, of Fairmont, formerly of Wheeling, died Feb. 27, 2022, at home after a valiant battle with cancer.
She was born May 24, 1955, in Bismarck, N.D. and was the daughter of the late Joan and Milt Nugent.
Laurie graduated from Triadelphia High School in 1973. She studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and graduated with an art degree from West Liberty State College.
Laurie was employed by Creative Display in Wheeling. She and her mother also founded Art, Etc., a framing and art supply shop in Wheeling.
After marrying in 1978, she moved to Morgantown and began working at the Appalachian Gallery. In 2004, she and her partner, Penelyn, purchased the Appalachian Gallery, a shop specializing in local art.
Laurie was a talented artist, loved nature and the outdoors, and had a soft heart for animals.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, David. She is survived by her siblings and her children, David Bertha (partner, Eva Suarez) and Kristen and J.D. Whitehair, all of Morgantown.
Laurie selflessly donated her remains to the WVU Human Gift Registry for research. Because her friends and family are spread far and wide, a private celebration of her life will be held for the immediate family at a later date.
If you would like to honor Laurie’s legacy, please consider making a donation to Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org), Morgantown Feral and Stray Cats, aka Morgantown Cats (feralandstraycats.org) or West Liberty University Foundation (designated for deposit to the David Nugent Memorial Trust) (wlufoundation.org).
