Laurin Weeks Magee

Obituary

Laurin Weeks Magee
Laurin Weeks Magee of The Villages, FL, passed away peacefully on 14 July 2024 of natural causes. Laurin was born in Brooklyn, NY on 27 July 1930, the youngest child and only daughter of Hugh Fairly Magee and Dorothy Magee (née Cornell). Laurin and her older brothers William (Bill) and Hugh grew up in Ridgewood, NJ. After attending the Grier school in Tyrone, PA she matriculated at Duke University in 1948, graduating with a double major in English and History in 1951.

Laurin had a distinguished and pioneering career as a businesswoman. After an early start in banking in New York City, she moved to Pittsburgh in 1952 to work in advertising. It was there that she met Stanley Edge, with whom in 1956 she established Stanley Edge Associates, a consulting firm to the construction industry which moved to Washington, DC in 1960. Together they subsequently founded the Housing Guidance Council (HGC),
with Laurin focusing her expertise in marketing and consumer research for a wide range of building and manufacturing companies across the US and in Canada, England, and Australia. Laurin succeeded Stanley as President of the HGC in 1970 and continued in that role after his death in 1974. Highly respected in the housing industry, her career reached well beyond construction projects to consulting on housing-related matters for national publications such as Better Homes & Gardens and serving as the first female officer of the Federal Savings & Loan Advisory Counsel. Always proud of her prominence in an industry dominated by men, Laurin was her own person and had little time for the “women’s liberation” movement and its potential for tokenism. Her professional achievements were recognized in 1976, with an entry in the third edition of The World Who’s Who of Women (ed. E. Kay [Cambridge: International Biographical Centre, p. 555]). After her retirement, Laurin took pleasure in volunteering extensively in elementary schools and hospitals.

Known among friends and family for her formidable intelligence and discerning taste, Laurin took an interest in, and enjoyed discussing, a wide range of subjects. Never married, she was a consummate hostess, loyal friend, and devoted aunt who never missed an opportunity to get together with her beloved nephews and their families, in whom she took immense pride and by whom she was treasured. She took her role as Favorite Aunt seriously, modeling it on her own special relationship with her adored Aunt Dee, a nurturing and profoundly loving influence in her childhood. Laurin was an animal lover, particularly of horses and dogs, and avid golf fan. She enjoyed, and excelled at, games of skill, including bridge, mahjong, and Scrabble. Visits to her home were always memorable due especially to her warm welcome and generosity of spirit. She liked
nothing more than to celebrate the holidays with a visit from family.

She leaves behind her nephews John, Bill, and Tom; John and Tom’s wives Sanjukta Roy of Toronto, Canada and Isobel Magee of Winchester, MA; John and Sanjukta’s daughters Sanjana and Helena; Tom and Isobel’s son and daughter Benjamin and Beatrice; Sanjana’s husband Samir Shah and their son Sreyaan Shah-Magee, and several lifelong friends. Laurin was preceded in death by her brothers Bill and Hugh and her former sister-in-law, Madeleine Magee.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to your preferred charity. Arrangements entrusted with BALDWIN BROTHERS Funeral & Cremation Society-Spanish Springs, 352-430-1449. Sentiments are encouraged at www.baldwincremation.com.