Laura Elizabeth Mirian

Laura was the first of seven (7) daughters born of Laura Elizabeth (Turnbull) Alfred and Climont Bernard Alfred. She was raised in Norfolk, Virginia, attending Norfolk Catholic High and
continuing her education with an undergraduate degree in Nursing from Norfolk State University. She began her career as a registered nurse at hospitals and clinics in Virginia, Indiana and Illinois.

Laura obtained a Masters of Science degree in Gynecologic Oncology Nursing at Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, in 1987. In 2006, Laura earned a Ph.D. in Psychology at Saybrook University in San Francisco, while working for major pharmaceutical companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. She continued to work as a pharmacovigilance consultant and drug safety specialist in clinical drug trials and post-marketing cases for over 14 years in the Bay Area.

She served as faculty at the University of Phoenix College of Health Sciences and Nursing for 8 years. Of those 8 years, she was Area Chair in San Francisco for 3 years and was recognized as Outstanding Faculty in 2002 and 2006. As an accomplished writer, Laura contributed articles to health journals, including Journal of Advanced Medical-Surgical Nursing (1988), Oncology Nursing Forum (1990), and FHP Journal of Clinical Research (1992) under her former name of Laura Santana. Her Ph.D. dissertation, “A Phenomenological Psychological Study of Registered Nurses,” was published in Proquest Digital Dissertations under her name Laura Mirian. In 2014, Coreopsis: A Journal of Myth and Theatre published her article “The Meaning and Moral Knowledge of Good.”

Laura delved into spiritual and cultural world views, practices, and traditions. Throughout her travels to various countries she learned and practiced Tai- Chi, Qi-Gong, and Yoga. She enjoyed participating in the Native American Gathering of Nations with friends and family and explored her family’s cultural influences, as well as regional cultural influences in the United States. In her later years, she volunteered at the Tucson Buddhist Meditation Center. She also loved reading, singing, dancing, and spending time with her family.

Laura is survived by her children, John S. Selden, IV and Gabrielle D. Selden. Her youngest child, Marisol Lucero Santana, predeceased her in 1986. She is also survived by her:
Granddaughter, Rosio G. Selden; Sisters (Gaynell Howell, Pamela Alfred, Virginia Haley, Alfreda Cohill, and Andrea Alfred); and Friends and family (Frank Mirian, Margarita, Brian, and Erik Rypkowski) whom she loved dearly.

A private service will be held for immediate family. A tribute donation may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association https://donorservices.alz.org.

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