Laura Penn Chumley (née Whiteside), born September 30th, 1957, left our known world on the morning of October 19th, 2024. Her journey was preceded by her loving husband, Philip Daren Chumley; her mama, Betty Penn Whiteside (née Wilkins); her daddy, Norris Talleyrand Whiteside; and her stepson, Adam Darren Chumley. She leaves behind two adoring children, Norris Taliesin Grahame and Pamella Enlow DeVore (Galvin Fray DeVore, Jr.); her baby sister, Betzi (Elizabeth) Patricia Whiteside; her sister-in-law, Morgan Grahame; her best friend of a lifetime, Leslie Jean Cardin; an extended family; and friends too many to name.

Born in Charleston, West Virginia, a place she always dreamed of returning to, Laura spent her childhood in Atlanta, Georgia. Schooling took her first to New Orleans, Louisiana, and then to Athens, Georgia. In Athens, she met the Old Crew, a band of friends forged around long nights at the D&D table, which included the father of her son, Christopher James Grahame. She was a part-owner and chef at The Pink Flamingo in Hilton Head, South Carolina, but eventually returned to Atlanta to begin her career as a computer programmer where her son Norris, the purest joy of her life, was born. With a desire to escape to nature, she moved to Waleska, Georgia, where she raised Norris and welcomed Pam, her adopted daughter. After her children flew the nest, she met and married her true love, Philip, joining him at Buzzards Roost in Fairmount, Georgia. Together, they enjoyed a life of farming, hunting, and watching the sunset on the back porch.

Laura's talents were many and her hobbies extensive. She was passionate about cuisine and took joy in preparing decadent meals for her family and herself, which included an annual Christmas Eve goose with all the fixins'. She loved science fiction and fantasy and voraciously consumed the genres through books, movies, and games (first tabletop and then computer). Laura travelled the world for both work and pleasure and made many trips to Europe, South and Central America, and Asia. To list but a few of her titles, she was a beekeeper, a gardener, a knitter, a mule rider, and a mandolin picker. She loved without limit, gave to a fault, and was never able to turn away a creature in need (be it four-legged or two-). A woman with an analytical mind, she believed there was no problem she could not solve with logic. She was a master of chaos (or so she thought).

In lieu of flowers, her family asks that donations be made to Save the Bees (https://savethebees.com/) or Skunk Haven (https://www.skunkhaven.net/), two non-profit organizations with missions she passionately supported. Laura's wishes state there is to be no funeral, but an announcement of a gathering for close friends and family will be forthcoming.