AVON — Claudia Denelsbeck-Laskow, 70, of Avon, North Carolina, passed away Sunday, October 13, 2024, at her home. Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Claudia was the daughter of the late Robert Cassidy Denelsbeck and Marjorie Ballard; she was preceded in death by her sister, Wendy. She was a graduate of Central Bucks East High School, Class of 1972, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Keuka College, Class of 1976, and a Master of Public Administration, Management degree from Penn State University in 1988. Claudia is survived by her husband, Jan Peter Laskow, and a large family, including many nieces and nephews who she loved dearly, and an extended family here on Hatteras Island. Claudia was a kind and thoughtful woman, and she will be missed and remembered by the many lives she touched.
Claudia and her husband, Jan, were born on the same day – May 10, 1954, and in 1980, on the same date, they married after a lifelong friendship and ten years of dating. To many, “Claudia and Jan” is a known unit – always together, supporting one another unconditionally through their many chapters together, prioritizing one another, and growing in both their love and friendship for seven decades. After forty-four years of marriage, they navigated life together with humor, passion, and abounding love. To know, Claudia was to know her love for Jan.
In 1989, Claudia and Jan moved to Avon, North Carolina from their home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and created a life filled with an extended family and countless friends. Upon her arrival to Hatteras, she started work at the Froggy Dog. Soon after, she received her real estate license and worked for over three decades as an agent for Outer Beaches Realty, helping countless others find their homes in the place she loved and chose to make her home, too. In addition to her work in Real Estate, she assisted her husband in starting his business, Outer Banks Fire Protection, which serviced the Outer Banks community for over thirty years.
Claudia was known for her sense of humor, quick wit and endless energy, the first with a biting comment or sarcastic quip to make those around her laugh. She was compassionate and unconditionally supportive of the people she loved, being the first to lend a hand. She volunteered for countless initiatives on Hatteras Island, including Friends of Felines, a nonprofit to support the feral cat population on the island. She could often be seen throughout Avon, feeding her four-legged friends, and ensuring they were safe, or fundraising to ensure resources were available to support the efforts of the community. In addition to Friends of Felines, Claudia volunteered with Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation, The Hotline Thrift Shop in Waves, and St. John’s Methodist Church in Avon for meal delivery, to name a few.
More than anything, Claudia’s legacy will live on in the people who loved her and the countless organizations she supported in her time here. She has touched many lives on Hatteras Island and beyond, and our broken hearts are filled with love and her memory.
A celebration of Claudia’s life will be held on Saturday, November 23, at 11 a.m. at the Avon Volunteer Fire Department, 40159 Harbor Rd, Avon, NC.
Online expressions of sympathy may be made at gallopfuneralservices.com, In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation at https://hicf.org or Friends of Felines at https://fofhi.org.
