FAYETTEVILLE — Our sweet L.A. has left us. Laura Abigail (“L.A.”)

Cate of Fayetteville died on December 4, 2023, at the age of 18 years. She died at Circle of Life’s hospice home in Springdale after bravely fighting a complicated gastrointestinal illness for almost four years, an illness that left her in multiorgan failure and constant pain. With unrivaled strength and courage, she endured over 440 nights in seven pediatric hospitals and over 75 procedures under anesthesia as her doctors worked to understand her illness and keep her alive. True to her nature, L.A. used that time in the hospitals productively. She worked ahead on her academics to such an extent that she graduated from Fayetteville High School (“FHS”) a year early in 2022, and as a valedictorian, no less. She also spent time in the hospital painting beautiful art and becoming fluent in French.

Even before her illness, life gave L.A. challenges, starting with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome. As a child, she struggled to understand social interactions. Years of therapy and her hard work — along with the love and patience of countless teachers, therapists, and counselors — changed much of that. Still, she sometimes was confused at a social situation. She looked for guidance from her older brother and best friend, Bradshaw, to navigate complicated situations. She loved and trusted Bradshaw with all her big heart and he was the loving, wise, and patient big brother that she needed. They not only loved one another unconditionally but they complimented each other. For instance, L.A.’s energy and passion for life drew her shy and reserved brother out of his shell at a young age. She showed him how to have fun and find mischief, much to the stress of their parents. It was the thrill of their parents’ life that – because she finished a year early – L.A. and Bradshaw graduated together from FHS on May 19, 2022.

Life presented L.A. with physical challenges, too, even before her gastrointestinal illness. Diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, she endured significant joint pain and was forced to retire from the FHS dive team, and she eventually lost the ability to walk. But no one remembers her complaining about any of the pain or the challenges she faced. Rather, she did her best to build community and demonstrate joy. A quote she gave to The Arkansas Traveler newspaper last year is indicative of her life view: “My favorite quote ever says, ‘Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time, it just means that even on the hard days you know that there are betters ones coming….’ If I don’t have all the time in the world, the feasible mark I want to leave, the better one in my opinion, is to bring joy to people’s lives. I like to make people feel included, like they have a place….”

And she did bring joy to people’s lives! L.A. was the surprise second child of Laura and Brandon Cate, born on January 21, 2005, in Little Rock, 19 months after Bradshaw’s birth. A veteran delivery nurse at St. Vincent hospital declared L.A. to be the loudest newborn she had ever heard. And things did not get quieter after that. L.A. lived life loudly and merrily, attracting friends and attention along the way. British musician Noel Gallagher encountered L.A. before a concert in Dallas. Mr. Gallagher told L.A. she must be his “loudest fan,” that he was initially frightened by her screams, and that he believed her to be louder than a “screaming badger.” Her loud voice also attracted the attention of movie star Bill Murray one day in Brooklyn. Mr. Murray grabbed L.A.’s mother’s iPhone just so he could snap a selfie picture with L.A. The next day, L.A. bumped into Bryan Cranston. Mr. Cranston could not have been more patient or kind to L.A., though he eventually cautioned her — with a wink and a smile — that she may have “terrible parents” for letting her watch his television show, Breaking Bad. On the home front, L.A. planned and executed the best parties and dinners and artistic ventures, all to the excitement of her parents and Bradshaw. There was not a holiday that went uncelebrated in the Cate home. Without question, she made her parents and Bradshaw better and more interesting and more understanding people. She taught them that life is not always black and white but that there are a lot of gray areas. She showed her parents how to be more compassionate and how to take time to enjoy the journey. She will always live in their hearts and memories.

A confirmed member of Central United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, L.A. is also survived by her loving grandparents, Annelle Cate of Fayetteville and Herman & Patsy Partin of Tennessee. L.A. was preceded in death by her grandfather, Benton Cate. L.A. is survived by uncles and aunts Julie & Jeff Cox of Tennessee, Chad & Kim Cate of Farmington, Lisa & Andrew Raby of Tennessee, Tyler & Bridget Cate of Arizona, and Allyson & Conner McNair of Fayetteville. She is survived by 16 younger first cousins: Sophia Cox, Noah Raby, Ashlen Cate, Judah Cox, Kaia Raby, Audrey Cate, Annabelle McNair, Lily Raby, Katherine McNair, Wyatt Cox, Hailey Cate, Levi Raby, Trek Raby, Emerson McNair, Noah Cate, and Rosemary McNair. She is survived by her mother’s godmother, Carolyn Primm of Tennessee. And she is survived by her loving and loyal dog, Teddy.

L.A. had a special friendship with all her cousins, but especially Sophia. Born within a month of each other, Sophia was not only a best friend but the sister that L.A. did not have. L.A. died with only one regret: that she would not be physically present for Sophia, Bradshaw, and Teddy in the years to come.

As L.A.’s illness progressed, L.A.’s zest for life only increased. A mathematics savant, she was determined to start college, and she did so on scholarship in the Honors College at the University of Arkansas. After being in hospitals out of state during the Covid pandemic and unable to receive visitors, she was thrilled to get to live in student housing and be around more people her own age. In college, she made special friends Cole McCallum and Lily Mayner. She loved to bake and cook French meals for her friends.

During an extended hospitalization in Kansas City, L.A. befriended fellow patient Ashlyn Wheeler, and their friendship continued after they were discharged from the hospital. They traveled to see each other in their hometowns and had a special bond.

L.A.’s illness required her to communicate with her doctors and other medical professionals on almost a daily basis. She was especially grateful for the wonderful people at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and its Intestinal Rehabilitation Program and for her wonderful primary care physician in Fayetteville and her staff. These consummate professionals showered L.A. with love and worked hard to make L.A.’s days better. L.A. had a love for medical professions and enjoyed her experiences with the HOSA club at FHS, led by her friend and favorite teacher, Cathy Gunter.

Despite the need to travel with heavy medical equipment and backpacks of IV fluids, L.A. did not let her illness thwart her desires to travel. In the last 19 months of her life, she visited New York City twice (including for a Harry Styles concert and to see her favorite show, Hamilton, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation), Las Vegas twice (including to see her beloved Razorbacks basketball team), Miami, Washington, D.C., and — best of all — Paris. She did not become fluent in French for nothing, after all.

Life with L.A. was never conventional; she challenged norms and expectations. She saw the world differently. She was attuned to joy and life unseen. She laughed loudly and could argue loudly too. She negotiated for sport. Her smile was beautiful and contagious. She was as stubborn as a mule. She loved parks and gardens and swimming. She loved going to a baseball game and eating ballpark ice cream and getting her face painted.

L.A. not only showed her family how to live, but she also showed them how to die. She met the end of her physical life with all the courage, strength, grace, and dignity you can imagine. She told her family that she would always be with them in spirit and that they are to look for her in the dragonflies.

An outdoor memorial service will be held at the Chapel at Vesper Point at Mount Sequoyah Retreat in Fayetteville on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 10 a.m. She asked that attendees wear her favorite color pink or another bright color. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution in her name to one of these organizations that she loved:

Camp Barnabas Foundation

P.O. Box 609 Branson, MO 65615 https://campbarnabas.org/ways-to-give

Make-A-Wish Mid-South 1780 Moriah Woods Blvd. Suite 10

Memphis, TN 38117 https://wish.org/midsouth The Fayetteville Public Education Foundation

P.O. Box 571 Fayetteville, AR 72702 https://www.fayedfoundation.org/

To place an online tribute, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com.