IN MEMORIAM: Vera McLaughlin, 75,

A.O. Fox Hospital Nurse, Otego EMT

ONEONTA – Vera E. McLaughlin, 75, a Fox Hospital nurse and former EMT, died Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020.

She was born Vera Ellen Bowman to Jay N. and Theodora (Stoppenhagen) Bowman in Fort Wayne, Indiana on July 12, 1945.

A graduate of Northside High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1963 and Parkview Methodist Nursing School in 1966 Vera also earned her BS in Nursing at Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY (class of 1990) while she raised her family and worked full-time at AO Fox Hospital, first in the Intensive Care Unit, then as a Nursing Supervisor and in Patient Education. Vera was proud to have volunteered on the Otego Emergency Squad in the 1990s.

She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in her 40s and, while the disease took its toll on her, she remained a smart, funny and creative woman until the end. She loved good jokes and bad puns. A master at Scrabble and Words with Friends, she also enjoyed puzzles and riddles. When she played games, she was known to be competitive because “that’s how you win” and she’d say it as if the thought of playing any other way was odd. Over her lifetime she dabbled in many crafts, sewing, crocheting, cake decorating and even painting and writing.

Vera is survived by her son, Shawn and his wife Kathleen of Whitesboro, NY and daughter, Mindy and her husband Joel Potts of Niverville, NY and grandchildren, Alexander Potts, Dell Potts and Declan McLaughlin. She is preceded in death by her parents, and brother, Vern Bowman who coincidentally died on October 7, 1979.

A celebration of life will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, or for those who wish, donations may be made to the MS Society (NMSS, P.O. Box 4594, New York, NY 10163). To send a condolence or share a memory online, go to www. raymondbondfh.com.