It is with great sadness that I am writing you all today. Our dear friend, One Step Beyond Parent of son Joshua (we all know him as JL), and One Step Beyond’s very first fine arts Instructor, Maggie Laughlin, passed away peacefully after a year-long struggle with cancer on May 7th. The Laughlin family has been with One Step Beyond since the very beginning, joining our community in 2004. Maggie, her husband Stephen, and J.L. joined our One Step Beyond Community at our very beginnings in 2004. Traveling across the U.S. From New York to Arizona to explore One Step Beyond as a viable program option for their son, the Laughlin family instantly became a part of the OSBI family. Soon thereafter, they also encouraged their NY friends the Anderson’s and their son Craig (we know him as C.A.), and the Lioidice’s and their son Gary to join One Step Beyond as well.
Outside of being an incredibly dedicated family to the OSBI mission and vision, Maggie launched our Art Program in 2005, teaching drawing, painting, and pottery to our program members. Her teaching inspired her students to create art that was truly one of a kind. Maggie saw the unique potential within each of our program members and taught, guided, and nurtured them to create pieces that have been shown in galleries, as well as the walls, tables, and shelves of so many in our One Step Beyond Community. Her work in our art program proved our vision; if you provide opportunities to individuals who have Intellectual Disability, they will amaze you with their abilities.
Many people give me credit for One Step Beyond and all it has achieved. Yet, whenever I receive such a compliment, I must admit that it was not just me that created this wonderful organization. All along the way when I needed inspiration and help, someone would appear on our doorstep to fill that need. Maggie was one of those people, who I feel was a blessing from Heaven, and created our art program that now continues 17+ years later, as an integral part of the OSBI mission and an outlet for the talent and self-expression of One Step Beyond Artists.
While I know most can only hope for a legacy that will be well-known beyond our passing, knowing Maggie and her humble nature, I believe a legacy in her name was not something for which she necessarily strived. Rather, her dream was a legacy that could live on in the names and art pieces of our OSBI artists, ensuring that they would always have the opportunity to seek art in whatever medium or form they could imagine.
We know this is a challenging time for Maggie’s husband Stephen, her son J.L., her other children, grandchildren, and so many friends. Maggie was a soft-spoken, gentle, empathetic, innovative, talented, creative, and loving woman. She was a true advocate for her OSBI students, a role model and friend to many of our OSBI employees, a dedicated member of our OSBI family, and we will all miss her deeply. A virtual memorial is planned for Maggie on September 23rd.
Mimi Rogers
Founder, One Step Beyond
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