Laura Layne Skains, neé Anderson October 5, 1956 - November 1, 2026

Laura was born in Lubbock, TX to Gordon and Jean Anderson on the 5th of October, 1956, and passed peacefully at home with her husband Quin by her side on November 1, 2026. She attended Monterey High School in Lubbock, and went on to study at Lubbock Christian College (now Lubbock Christian University), Texas Tech, and Abilene Christian University, finishing her studies in 1979. The Andersons were active members of Lubbock's Church of Christ community, and Laura maintained her strong faith all her life.

The Anderson family business, Anderson Bros Jewelers in Lubbock, gave her impeccable taste and judgment for beautiful things. She was never less than beautiful, and she ensured that her environment was just as inviting, warm, and joyful as she was. She loved holiday decorations, particularly insisting on an abundance of festive spirit for Christmas.

Laura worked in various administrative positions, including one at Texas Women's University, before and after she met Quin, who turned out to be the key source of love and laughter in her life. She responded to his personal ad in the paper, and he was so taken with her handwriting that he couldn't help but reach out. They were married that same year, August 20, 1988; Laura welcomed both Quin's children, Lyle and Tres, and loved them as her own from day one. She and Quin traveled 38 years together, over many roads smooth and rocky.

Their travels included many "trip of a lifetime" sojourns: Hawaii, Cancún, an oft-remembered Caribbean cruise they commemorated with tanzanite that brought her to tears, another cruise to Iceland, time spent in London, Dublin, and Wales, and her favorite: Italy. Laura never subscribed to the notion that there could ever be too much pasta, so their time in Rome, Venice, Florence, Siena, Luca, and Pisa was her heaven on Earth, despite the rough going over cobblestones and spontaneous detour to a quiet Tuscany farm.

Her last forty years were also filled with her beloved pets: Tigger, Bill, Diamond, Wadley, Blue, Iris, Macey, Junebug, and Meredith. Laura donated frequently to charities supporting animal welfare, doing what she could to repay the love and comfort her rescue animals always brought to her.

Laura looked forward every year to the Texas State Fair, to the indulgent new fair foods and her standby favorites: corndogs, dippin' dots, tornado taters, and saltwater taffy. She loved baking, making beautiful creations for weddings and events when she was younger, and she was a gifted seamstress.

Laura is preceded in death by her parents, Gordon and Jean, and her stepmother Bula. She is survived by her husband "Quin" Thurman Quincy Skains, Jr.; her bonus children Lyle Skains & husband Paul Mullins of Wales, UK and Tres Skains of Denton, TX; and her brother Scott Anderson and his wife Kimberly of Hartford City, IN.

Laura was full of laughter and beauty, wry jokes and kind words for everyone. We know she's snuggling with Blue and Bill and Tigger, giving them most of her meals even now, and reconnecting with her parents. No one could help falling in love with her, and she will be missed every day.

In lieu of flowers Laura would love if you donated to your local humane society or preferred animal rescue.