Nicolette Renee Laux (January 16, 1983-November 15, 2023)
This past week, Nicolette Laux passed from the mortal realm, and while I’m sure the angels were dancing with delight to add such a spirited soul to their ranks, those left stuck in our finite, physical existence mourn her departure as we struggle to understand why such an ugly disease can ravage such a beautiful person, and while our time on earth is relatively short in the context of our humanity and its inherent mortality- our hearts ache for reunion perhaps more so than anything else. Living this side of Eden is hard, especially when bad things happen to good people. It’s hard to make sense of as we yearn for an existence back in The Shire, not one spent in the shadow of Mordor.
Nicki was a person of vibrance. You just couldn’t be around her without feeling a magnetic pull or being infected by her easy and genuine laugh. It seemed as if she was also waiting to smile, even when the chips were down. She fought cancer valiantly, but it was the way that she lived- not how she died that will be her legacy to friends and family. And to some degree it was the support she received in the last year that defined the best of Rabun including the efforts to get her home where she took her last breaths of mountain air while saying her temporary goodbyes.
When something like this happens, it reminds us of how insignificant so many other worldly things are. While the tears are falling, we lean into our faith and we recognize the absolutely precious nature of life. We draw nearer to one another in an attempt to capture that which seems lost, albeit in a very temporary sense.
Nicki will by now have been made new and in the loving embrace of God, but we will take our moments to memorialize one lost too soon in our opinion, but one who lived life to the fullest.
Nicolette is survived by her father, Scott Laux; sisters, Peri Laux and Annie Marler; brother-in-law, Ben Marler; nephew, Archibald Marler; grandmother, Shirley Hertz; and life-partner, Jason Patsios.
Written by: Roger Glenn, guest columnist of The Clayton Tribune
Beck Funeral Home, in Clayton, Georgia, is honored to serve the family of Nicki. If there are any questions, please call 706-782-9599. An online Memorial Register Book is available at www.beckfuneralhome.com.
