Laurie C. Parnau

Laurie C. Parnau (nee Campbell), age 67, originally of Union passed away peacefully on Monday, November 16, 2020 in her home surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with cancer.

Laurie was raised in Union and was the oldest of three children to William and Nancy Campbell.  She attended Union High School and graduated with the class of 1971.  Following her high school graduation, she attended Seton Hall University where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 1975.  

Laurie accepted a position with Visiting Nurses of Union County where she worked for approximately fourteen years.  She then operated an in-home daycare where she lovingly cared for children while she gained her School Nurse Certificate to start the next chapter of her career. For 25 years Laurie was a beloved school nurse starting at Navesink Elementary School and then spending twenty-two years at Livingston Elementary School where she eventually retired in 2015.  

For nearly a century and for six generations, Laurie’s family owned a lake house in the Green Pond area of Rockaway Township.  Laurie always called this place, “our little piece of Heaven on earth.”  While living there, she was a member of the Green Pond Historical Society, as well as the Lake End Corporation Board of Directors for three years.  Laurie was also a long-time active parishioner of Townley Presbyterian Church in Union, NJ. She loved singing in the church choir and considered all of the members her second family.

Laurie’s mother Nancy was a trained vocalist and a Julliard School graduate so it came as no surprise that Laurie had a deep love for music.  In addition to singing in the Choir at church, she truly enjoyed attending plays and musicals.  She not only attended large professional performances but also attended and supported productions by local and community theatres. Laurie also had a passion for nature and animals. You would often find her exploring new trails or taking her grandchildren hiking through the “Magic Forest” or up to “Indian Look-Out” at Green Pond. She regularly supported animal rescue organizations and her rescue chihuahua, Georgia Mae, is a loved and spoiled member of her family that never left her side.

In 1981, Laurie married Robert Peter Kranz.  Laurie and Robert were married for twenty-two years and together raised four beautiful daughters. In 2004, Laurie found love again when she met a gentleman named Alan Parnau on a hike at the Trailside Nature & Science Center located on the Watchung Reservation. As fate would have it, Laurie and Alan fell in love and were married on July 18, 2009.  Laurie and Alan cherished eleven years of loving and loyal marriage together.

Laurie was the “Ultimate Care Giver.”  She was a completely selfless person, always putting other needs ahead of her own.  She always had a cheerful attitude about everything, and a positive outlook about every situation.  She was the kind of person who saw the good in everyone and never had a bad word to say about anybody.  Laurie was that certain type of person that you couldn’t help but like and admire.  Aside from all of her interests, hobbies, and talents, Laurie’s greatest passion was for her family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Laurie than providing for, and spending time with her family and friends.  Laurie was a wonderfully special person who touched and enriched the lives of countless people.  She will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.

Laurie is survived by her husband Alan Parnau of Hackettstown, four daughters; Lori Coponi and her husband Steven of Hazlet, Dawn Kranz and her partner Craig Milintschuk of Old Bridge, NJ, Melissa Ricci and her husband Marc of Cranford, NJ, and Katherine Bourke and her husband Ryan of Pearl River, NY, two stepchildren; April Parnau and her husband Kyle Roper of Saylorsburg, PA, and Adam Parnau of Brooklyn, NY, two sisters; Jennifer Serzan of Westfield, NJ, and Heather Campbell of Rockaway, NJ, eight grandchildren; Steven, Alexandra, Olivia, Ava, Lia, Riley, William, and Maxwell.  She was predeceased by her parents William and Nancy Campbell.

Those wishing to make a donation in Laurie’s name are asked to consider the following organizations.  Townley Presbyterian Church, 829 Salem Rd, Union, NJ 07083 https://www.townleychurch.org or Mt Pleasant Animal Shelter, 194 NJ-10, East Hanover, NJ 07936, https://njshelter.org/