William “Will” Laird

November 10, 1976 – July 30, 2025

William “Will” Laird, 48, passed away peacefully on July 30, 2025, surrounded by friends and family. Will was born in Meridian, Mississippi on November 10, 1976, and spent his final 20 years in New Orleans, Louisiana, a city that matched his soul in grit, beauty, and rhythm.

Will was the proud father of three children: Dylan, Laynie, and Taylor. His journey through fatherhood was full of growth, healing, and deep love. He honored and cherished his relationships with his children and valued each unique connection. Will’s three children were his greatest source of joy, pride, and purpose.

Will’s path wasn’t an easy one. He overcame a difficult childhood and worked tirelessly for everything he had. Will also humbly and courageously trudged the road of recovery from alcoholism and addiction. His journey was marked by honesty, accountability, and grace. Will understood pain and resilience in equal measure. His lived experience gave him a deep well of empathy and his exceptional ability to share that experience enabled him to help countless others. Despite several disadvantages, with the unconditional love and support of his friends and family and a lot of grit and determination, Will built a beautiful life rooted in love, creativity, and service.

Will put himself through school while working at Camellia Grill, a beloved New Orleans institution. Behind that famous counter, Will didn’t just serve food, he formed connections. He made everyone feel welcome, whether they were a regular, a tourist, a coworker, or a stranger sitting alone who needed a friend. Will was profoundly empathetic, insightful, and kind. He was unsurprisingly called to a career in social services. He earned a master’s in social work from LSU, became a therapist, worked for the local human services authority, rode alongside the sheriff’s department on crisis calls, and ultimately landed his dream job as an LMSW at Tulane. He was a valued clinician and colleague.

Music was one of Will’s greatest joys. He played the bass guitar with local bands Remedy Krewe and Noisewater, gracing some of New Orleans’ most coveted stages. What began as performance grew into brotherhood; the bands became family, and the music was his medicine. Will’s great love of music and particularly the bass guitar was amplified when he began to share it with his son Dylan.

One of the most important relationships in Will’s life was with his best friend and co-parent, Jessica, Taylor’s mother. Their friendship was built on mutual respect, laughter, and unwavering support and was a grounding force in Will’s life. Together they raised Taylor with love and intention, and their bond remained strong through every season of his life.

Will also deeply loved his partner Mandy. Their relationship brought him laughter, peace, and companionship during some of the most meaningful years of his life, including a difficult final year navigating cancer together.

Will was also a friend in the truest sense of the word. His lifelong bond with childhood best friend Chico stood as a testament to the kind of loyalty and love Will brought into his friendships. Will had many treasured friends and he made it known to them that they were seen, heard, and valued. He was a listener, a thinker, and a truth-teller. He was a constant source of compassion and a font of practical and useful advice. Will’s legacy will be immortalized in the wisdom, insights, and unique perspective on life that he shared with his friends and family during his lifetime and that they will share with others well into the future.

And then there were the cats. Will adored them. He dreamed of opening a cat sanctuary where he could spend his days loving on rescues and misfits, quietly surrounded by purring. It was the one dream he didn’t fulfill, but it tells you everything about his heart.

Will wore many hats in one too-short lifetime—father, friend, partner, advocate, artist, counselor, musician, server, writer, poet and cat whisperer. He was human in the most beautiful sense of the word. Those who knew him will remember the space he held for his friends and strangers, his sense of humor, his brilliant mind, and the calm strength he brought to chaos. He lived with intensity and intention and he always, always showed up for the people he loved. The marks he left on his world and the people in it will not fade.

Will is survived by his children Dylan (Josie), Laynie, and Taylor; his partner Mandy Heymann; his best friends Jessica and Chico; his brother Brick Naquin (Marie) and sister Jennifer Ward (Alan) and a wide circle of chosen family, coworkers, clients, and friends who will carry his memory forward.

A celebration of Will’s life will be held at Southport Hall on Saturday, November 15th from 3-6pm. 

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