Laurie Grana
November 11, 1948 — August 1, 2025
Laurie Grana (née Regensburg) passed away peacefully at home in Tucson on August 1, 2025 from a hard-fought journey navigating dementia. She was surrounded by her daughters, Rachel and Susie and her life-long friend, Bonni.
Laurie was born on November 11, 1948 in the Bronx, New York, and though she moved to Tucson in 1972, she never lost her New York accent and New York sensibilities. She loved New York and was a true New Yorker through and through, who also grew to love the grand beauty of her adopted home, Tucson, Arizona.
Laurie was quite the amazing person, who gave so much love to everyone who knew her. She was intelligent and kind, straightforward and generous. She raised her daughters, Rachel and Susie, as a single parent and worked tirelessly to provide for them. She was a fierce advocate for justice and someone whose empathy ran deep. Laurie began her career supporting individuals with developmental disabilities at the Arizona Training Program, Tucson (ATPT) and went on to teach for over 30 years at Tucson Hebrew Academy, Secrist Middle School, and religious school at Or Chadash (now Kol Ami) synagogue. Her passion was always education - not just the kind found in textbooks, but the kind that builds character, sparks curiosity, and shapes the world for the better.
It became a family joke that going anywhere with Laurie - the grocery store, a restaurant, a park - meant running into former students, their parents, or someone she once helped. And she always stopped to talk, always made time, always remembered. She believed in the power of connection, of truly seeing people. She had a smile that could soften anyone, and a wit that could disarm even the most stubborn.
Laurie was also a lifelong activist for peace and civil rights. She believed in tikkun olam — the Jewish value of repairing the world — and lived it daily. Whether it was through marching, teaching, or simply offering support to those who needed, she was very principled and believed in learning from history to help shape the present and future for the greater good. She passed this passion for activism to her children and students, who pursued careers or other activities in public service and social justice because of her inspiration.
Laurie was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence and Shirley Regensburg. She is survived by her daughters Rachel Mayne (Ian) and Susie Carey (John), and by her greatest joys — her grandchildren Ava and Zoe Carey, and Henry Mayne — who lit up her world. She is also survived by many extended family members, many beloved friends,and generations of students whose lives she touched with wisdom, humor, and love.
A special thank you to Nicole, Kia, and the countless others with Catalina Hospice for their amazing support.
A memorial service will be held in October. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the following organizations that championed causes close to our mother’s heart.
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