From Xpress reports
Laurey Masterton, longtime activist and entrepreneur in Asheville, lost her long battle with cancer early Tuesday morning, Feb. 18.
Masterton, owner of catering business and café Laurey’s, bicycled across the country for the Ovarian Cancer Association in 2009.
Asheville media reported earlier this week that she had been under hospice care.
The Asheville Citizen-Times quoted her sister as saying Masterton’s rapid delicline was a surprise to all, since she was planning to attend a dinner this week.
Masterton was one of the pioneers credited with helping jumpstart Asheville’s downtown revival.
Cancer has been an ever-present factor in 59-year-old Masterton’s life. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer more than 20 years ago. At age 12, she lost both her parents to cancer.
She moved to Asheville with a degree in theater design and lighting, intent on creating classes for cancer survivors. But a love of food and cooking took hold, and Masterton opened her cafe in downtown Asheville in 1990. Today, Laurey’s is a popular stop on Biltmore Avenue.
Laurey had SO many talents, probably some she hadn’t yet discovered. And she was SO generous in sharing herself and her talents.
Her death leaves a void no one will be able to fill.