Laura Elisabeth Sanders ’78

Cancer claimed a dear classmate when Laura, "LB," died in May 2002, of ovarian cancer. She fought the disease for four years, to store up a lifetime of memories for her son Luke, now seven years old.

LB graduated summa cum laude and took the thesis prize in English, then went on to graduate from Harvard Medical School in 1982. LB's list of accomplishments, honors, and contributions in her field of endocrine surgery far exceed our limited space to tell. It should surprise nobody to learn that during her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital she trained for the Boston Marathon by running to work. She was known to commute by bicycle from Cambridge to Salem.

LB had a deep passion for life. She had already beaten long odds against esophageal cancer, diagnosed in 1993. She continued a full surgical schedule for two years, participating in and fundraising for the Wellness Community, a cancer support group. She also wrote her autobiography, Letter to Luke.

The class's deepest sympathy goes to LB's husband, Eric Scheuer, to Luke, and to the friends and family who loved LB deeply and supported her in a life well-lived and too soon ended.

The Class of 1978