In Loving Memory

Laura Juanita Poplin Untz

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Laura Poplin Untz, who left us on June 13th. 2025 after a long battle with renal cancer. Laura was the daughter of Robert and Mildred Poplin. Laura was from a large family of 7 half-brothers, 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Laura was a member of Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church and resided in Midland, NC for the past 22 years.

Early Life

Laura was born on April 6th, 1938, in Concord, where she spent his formative years. She worked on the farm along with her brothers and sisters. They grew cotton and vegetables and cared for various farm animals. She graduated from W.R. Odell School, where she drove a school bus and played girls' basketball, making all state.

Professional Life

After graduating from high school, Laura moved to Phoenix, Arizona to live with her brother Dempsey Poplin and his wife Addie. She pursued college classes earned her flight wings to be a flight attendant for the former Eastern Airlines. She wanted to travel, and this pursuit would have enabled that dream. She loved her time with Dempsey and Addie and they both moved back to Concord and remained close. She looked up to Dempsey and thought of him as a father figure although he was her older stepbrother. She worked for Aetna Life & Casualty as a file clerk starting in 1959 and finished her career there as an underwriter supervisor in 1995. She was an avid softball player and played for the Aetna co-ed team for 10 years while employed.

Family

She married William Merle Untz in 1960 and had 2 daughters, Anita Phillips (Randy) and Sheila DeArmon (James). She and her husband Bill also enjoyed square dancing and often attended dance festivals and competitions. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert M. Poplin, her mother Mildred Harwell Poplin, 7step brothers (Richard, Lloyd, Dempsey, Branson, J. Hue, Dillard, and Paul), 2 brothers (J.E. and Don), and her husband William (Bill) Merle Untz. She is survived by her two daughters and 3 grandchildren Sarah (Sheila), Austin (Anita) and Alex (Anita). She was most proud of her grandchildren.

Funeral Service

A celebration of Laura's life will be held on June 21, 2025, at Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church, Charlotte NC. The service will: commence at 10:30 AM, followed by a reception at the community hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to be made to the North Carolina Autism Society or the Shriners Hospital. Both organizations were special to Laura and her family.