Dr. Laura Anne Dickson Bednar

Dr. Laura Anne Bednar, 58, of Stuttgart passed away Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at her home.

Laura was born April 12, 1966, in Stuttgart to Dale and Marian Tull Dickson. She was a 1984 graduate of Stuttgart High School and received her bachelor’s degree in 1987 from The University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She received her master’s degree in December of 2000 and her doctorate in December 2003, both from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Laura was a faithful member of Southside Baptist Church where she was the church’s pianist for many years. In recent years, she and her husband became members of Little Rock First Baptist Church where she was a member of the choir and participated in the church’s Living Christmas Tree each year. They were owners of Turpin Funeral Home. She was an avid reader and enjoyed relaxing at the piano or at the family’s lake house in Hot Springs.

Laura loved learning and being in a learning environment. So, what better way to serve her hometown community than by beginning her career in education in the very place where she grew up. She served the Stuttgart School District as a teacher, an administrator and as Superintendent. She also provided leadership to the Pulaski County Special School District as the Language Arts Coordinator and Assistant Superintendent for Learning Services.

Using the skills and knowledge she acquired, she accepted a call of duty to serve the State of Arkansas as Assistant Commissioner for Learning Services. In that role, she hired some of the best educators from across the state to help her provide support to local school districts. It was always her goal to assist superintendents in providing optimal learning opportunities for all students.

Her final work was Head of Schools for the Baptist Preparatory School, a major mission of her church. She loved the children and the families the school served. Each staff member held a special place in her heart.

Laura was active in the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA). She served as president of the Arkansas Association of Curriculum and Instruction Administrators (AACIA) in 2008-2009. In that capacity, she served on the AAEA Board of Directors. She served on various committees of the AAEA and the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA). Her passion for learning and her outstanding leadership skills were recognized and honored by various educational agencies in the state and in the nation.

Laura was preceded in death by her father, Dale Dickson; uncles, Charlie Dickson and Johnny Dickson; and father-in-law, Richard L. Bednar Sr.

Survivors are her husband of 38 years, Rick Bednar; their son, Trey Bednar and his wife Leslie and their children Drake Henry and Charlsey Ray of Stuttgart; their daughter, Mari Bednar of Vancouver, Canada; her mother and step-father, Marian and Donald Lee Ruffin of DeWitt; her sister, Ellen Crowder and her husband Kevin of Stuttgart and their children, Nathan, Jack and Kaylan; mother-in-law, Cindy Bednar of Maumelle; sister-in-law, Amy Green of Maumelle and her children, Gracie and Eli; aunts, Tricia Smith, Nansi Orlicek and Brenda Dickson, all of Stuttgart, and Madelon Wittman of Little Rock; her devoted and loving caregiver Laverne Wofford of Stuttgart; and special friend and fellow educator Jane Ferguson of Stuttgart.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at First Baptist Church in Stuttgart.

A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Friday, July 12, at First Baptist Church Little Rock , 62 Pleasant Valley Dr., Little Rock, AR 72212.

Her family requests memorials be made to Dr. Laura Bednar Scholarship Fund, Farmers and Merchants Bank-Bank of Fayetteville, P.O. Box 1010, Stuttgart, AR 72160.