Ursula Laping Smith

Ursula Laping Smith, age 86, longtime resident of Lexington, passed away on October 20, 2024.

Ursula came to the United States at the age of 17 from Germany with her mother and made a life for herself in Chicago and trained to be a hairdresser.  That is where she met her first husband of 27 years, Hans Laping.  She helped to put Hans through college at the University of Illinois where they lived in married student housing in Champaign-Urbana. They moved to Massachusetts in 1966 when Hans had a career opportunity, where she raised her three children, spending many years as a homemaker, then went back to work as a hairdresser part-time some years later.

She took great joy in being with her children, making sure they were exposed to opportunities she did not have as a child, and nurtured her family with her amazing cooking and baking.  She created a beautiful home for her family and put them first always. 

After the passing of her first husband, she met her second husband, Ed Smith, a professor at Boston College, in a bereavement group for widows and widowers and it was love at first sight. Ursula and Ed shared a beautiful love story in the second half of her life, traveling the world and making a life in Lexington, while devoting a great deal of time to children and then grandchildren.  She shared 26 wonderful years with Ed until his passing in 2016.

Ursula was someone who lit up a room with her smile, and who always put others before herself.  She was naturally positive and generous and had a wonderful sense of humor and fun. Even when she transitioned to memory care in the last year of her life, she was always caring for the other residents, asking how they were doing and feeling. 

Ursula is survived by her children Kristine Laping of Boston, Karin Laping of Needham, and Hans Laping of Westford, and eight grandchildren: Christopher Walsh, Madeline Walsh Sharpe, Hannah Garand, Isabelle Garand, Colin Garand, Wolf Laping, Rowan Laping and Finn Laping.  The funeral service will be private. Visiting hours Saturday, October 26, from 2:00-5:00 pm Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Ave., Needham, MA In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to BID-Needham Hospital (bidneedham.org) or the charity of your choice. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ursula Laping Smith, please visit our floral store.