Laura L. (Johnson) Whitney Dubois

Lincoln, RI – Laura L. (Johnson) Whitney Dubois passed away peacefully on August 5, 2025 at age 78, leaving behind a legacy of caregiving and kindness.

   Born Laura Lee Johnson on June 21, 1947 to parents Henning and Helen R. (Blasenak) Johnson in Walpole, MA, she spent her early years developing her unique spirit of adventure and perseverance. After graduating from Walpole High School and earning her nursing degree from Norwood Nursing School, Laura looked to the horizon and moved all the way to California possessing little more than an intrepid spirit, uncontestable determination, and her beloved Ford Mustang. It was there, aged 30, amid the revelry of a local square dance, that Laura met a charming World War II veteran named Daniel Whitney. Dan and Laura married two years later and formed a life together.

   Laura’s insatiable wanderlust led her and Dan back across the country, living near her hometown in Massachusetts, then to central Florida, then back and forth between New England and Florida a few more times, all with a growing family in tow. Indeed, it was clear to all who knew Laura that nothing gave her greater joy than being a mom to her and Dan’s two beloved daughters, Amy (1982) and Stacie (1988), and the magic of experiencing Disney together exerted a great gravitational pull on the family for years.

   Regardless of the locale, the Whitney family home was always a place of love where Laura could be found making chocolate chip cookies with the kids, tackling new hobbies (she was an accomplished cake decorator and seamstress), or doing her very best to embarrass the girls with the mischievous help of her beloved Dan. That couple gleefully dancing together in the restaurant when everyone else is sitting politely? That was Laura and Dan.

   Laura’s caregiving was front and center in her personal life and shone bright in her nursing career. She was a skilled and dedicated nurse who worked in every imaginable setting, from pediatrics to nursing homes, until she retired in 2015. Even in her off time, Laura was the consummate caregiver. Have a minor medical emergency? Laura was on the spot with a bandage, scissors, and steady assurance.

   Laura and Dan’s family grew. Amy married Eric Knestrick and Stacie married Drew Manlove. These relationships produced Laura’s five beloved grandchildren. After 33 years of marriage, Laura, Amy, and Stacie lost Dan in 2012. It was a heavy loss for the entire family.

   Despite the heartbreak, Laura’s adventures continued. She eventually found love again in 2018 when she met kindly and dutiful Emile Dubois. For this next chapter, no one could have been a better match. Emile and Laura shared many hobbies and interests in common and no one was surprised that they married in 2018. Laura spent her golden years surrounded by family, doting after her grandchildren, dining out with friends, and logging countless miles joyfully cruising together in Emile’s convertible. Laura is survived by her husband, Emile Dubois; her two daughters, Amy Knestrick (Eric) and Stacie Manlove (Drew); her younger sister, Beverly McCarthy; her first cousin, Claire Ficarra, and Claire’s husband, James Ficarra; her loosely related “Old Lady” partner in crime, Cheryl Ficarra; and five thoroughly adored grandchildren.

   Her life of love and adventure will be celebrated on Monday, August 11 at 2 P.M. at Bellows Funeral Chapel, 160 River Road, Lincoln. For Directions and Guest Book, please visit www.bellowsfuneralchapel.com.

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