About the Book
“I love Laurada. She has and always will be a tremendous inspiration to me. Her energy, optimism, and huge heart have no parallel. And of course, there is her grit — her indomitable grit. What her life teaches us is that true grit has a purpose, and that purpose is make the future better for others.”
— Angela Duckworth, Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania and Faculty Co-Director, Penn-Wharton Behavior Change For Good Initiative
“Laurada's incredible will and drive in the face of her disease should serve as an inspiration to all who face adversity.”
— Hon. Edward. G. Rendell, Former Mayor of Philadelphia and Governor of Pennsylvania
Laurada. My Life of Adventure, Tragedy, and Purpose is an unfeigned and heartfelt memoir
that explores:
• The experience of sudden profound loss and grief
• The reality of chronic illness and the emotional weight it carries
• Memory and the process of learning to live after loss
At its heart, this is a story about love — what it means to hold on, and what it means to let go.
Laurada's Story
My purple silk pants suit was covered in blood — my husband’s blood. I was trying to staunch the flow of blood from his knife wound until a police officer pulled me away and said “Lady, he’s dead. Can’t you see? He’s dead.”
Before my husband was murdered in front of me on December 4, 1999, I had led a privileged life in Bronxville, New York. I went to a boarding school in Connecticut, traveled the world, and married W. Russell G. Byers from a prominent Pittsburgh family — not as wealthy as the Mellons who were his in-laws for a time — but who was wildly charismatic, beautifully mannered and always curious about everything. Our honeymoon was in 5-star hotels in Europe.
We moved to Philadelphia from Washington, D.C., where Russell had worked for HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and I worked the cash register in the gift department at Garfinckel’s department store. Our spacious field stone house in historic Chestnut Hill was full of dogs, dahlias and his children Russell Jr. and Alison with Connie Mellon. Christmas was always a fun and elaborate celebration. For our annual Christmas party, we decorated the house from top to bottom and had sleigh rides for the children. Russell was Santa personified — he truly believed.
Soon after Russell’s sudden and violent death, I wanted to celebrate his life by creating a school in his memory. Russell was a prominent newspaper columnist in Philadelphia who often wrote about crime and high taxes and was especially passionate about improving public education. The Russell Byers Charter School, located in downtown Philadelphia with over 700 children in pre-K through 8th Grade, continues Russell’s vision of a joyful learning experience while giving children roots to grow and wings to fly.
Not long after the 10th anniversary of Russell’s death my life continued to take unexpected twists and turns as I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and three years later with cancer. While managing my challenging health issues, the rewards of the school have continued to sustain me. If someone had told me that I would start a school, I would have thought that was impossible. I want to leave the world telling others: Anything is possible. Don’t forget that!
L.