Laura Lee Partridge

Laura Lee Partridge, born on July 28, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska, transitioned from this life on February 26, 2025. She was preceded in death by her parents, June Walker Partridge and Clitron Partridge Jr., her brother Steven, her sister Stephanie, and her beloved Cocker Spaniel, Mattie.

Laura’s legacy lives on through her daughters, Nicole Sowell (Minneapolis, MN) and Natalie Sowell (Norcross, GA), her stepson Dakar Nedds (Omaha, NE), her grandchildren Tajha Sowell, KyJay Smith, Noble Sowell, and great-granddaughters NyAira and Zuri. She is also survived by her siblings Rickey Partridge, Terry Partridge, Clitron Partridge, III, and Cheryl Pryor, as well as dozens of cousins and extended family members who will continue to honor her memory.

Laura was a trailblazer from the start. While attending East High School in Denver, CO, she earned the Senior Girl Award for leadership, an early indicator of the incredible woman she would become someone committed to serving her communities and her family. She studied at University of Northern Colorado and in her early career she worked as the Director of Personnel and Affirmative Action at the University of Colorado and Director of the Urban League of the Pikes Peak Region. Later, she returned to Omaha, where she led the Multiplication of the Loaves anti-hunger program.

In the 1980s, Laura transitioned into her true passion as a master theatre artist. She directed numerous plays, including the world premiere of Minstrel Show: The Lynching of William Brown by Max Sparber, Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, and Death of a Salesman with an all-Black cast at the Center Stage Theatre in South Omaha. As co-founder and Artistic Director of UJIMA YOUTHEATRE, she wrote, directed, and performed in countless productions that highlighted African American history and culture. A particular highlight was touring of Mondo We Langa’s piece Different Dances to New York.

Laura was committed to bringing art to underresourced communities, working as an artist in residence, and directing numerous programs that served young people. She taught at institutions like the Omaha Housing Authority’s Ruth K Solomon Girls Center, the LaFern Williams Center, SOUL FIRE, Emmy Gifford Children’s Theatre (now the Rose Theatre), the Knowledge is Power Program at Endeavor Academy and the Gem Cultural and Educational Center in Kansas City, MO, and the Guild of St. Agnes and the Latino Education Institute in Worcester, MA.

Laura’s dedication to storytelling went beyond the classroom. As a performer, she shared African folktales, Black poetry, and toured her one-woman show about Zora Neale Hurston. Laura trained in Theatre of the Oppressed with Augusto Boal, the technique's creator, and went on to teach Theatre of the Oppressed workshops to countless artists and activists both nationally and internationally.

While in Kansas City, Laura took on the role of Racial Justice Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee and began working with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). She served as a national and international consultant, coordinating WILPF’s delegates and lobbying at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in South Africa. Her social action work spread across the U.S., Europe, South America, and the Caribbean, always advocating for social justice.

Laura was recognized with numerous awards throughout her life, including Nebraskans for Peace’s Peacemaker of the Year, the YWCA Omaha’s Outstanding Woman of Distinction in Humanities Award, KMTV’s Woman of the Midlands Award, the NAACP’s National Outstanding Youth Advisor Award, Outstanding Community Service from the Urban League of Nebraska, Outstanding Service to Women of Color from the Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women, and the Women of Achievement Award from the Great Plains Girl Scouts, among many others. Laura was a true Leo at heart, and she adored taking a long, graceful bow after a standing ovation and she earned every bit of applause.

Above all, Laura cherished her family. As Grandmommy, Auntie Laura Lee, or Mama Laura, she reveled in spending time with her loved ones and introducing younger generations to theatre and the richness of their African American heritage. She was nurtured by her church communities and her spiritual beliefs infused everything she did - she always knew that her talents were from a higher power. Laura was driven by a deep sense of purpose, using her voice and her gifts to speak truth to power, uplift others, and make a lasting impact in the world.

Laura Lee Partridge was a phenomenal woman whose influence will be felt for generations to come. Her contributions to art, social justice, her family and community will continue to inspire those who knew and loved her, reverberating outward forevermore.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on March 15, 2025 at 2pm at PearTree Performing Arts, 4801 NW Radial Highway in Omaha, NE.