Obituary of Julia Cousins Laning

Julia Cousins Laning, 100, passed peacefully on July 16, 2022 in her home in Venice, FL. Julia was born in Norton, Virginia on December 11, 1921 and came to Venice with her family in 1927, the year Venice was incorporated, when she was 5 years old. Julia loved Venice. Her passion for keeping Venice’s history alive and the memory of those who helped Venice survive through the Depression Era was ever-present in her life.

Julia was a graduate of Venice-Nokomis High School and a graduate of Florida Southern College. During Julia’s youth, her father, Mitt Cousins, was the Mayor of Venice and her family lived in the Triangle Inn where her mother opened a tea room. Julia was kind and had a great sense of humor and she was also courageous, brilliant and bold. She left Venice as a young woman after college and moved to New York City on her own and worked as a commercial artist for Reader’s Digest. She moved back to Venice in 1970 and, through her love of cats, met her future husband, Dale Laning. Julia believed in promoting the culture of the city of Venice and its history. Her philanthropic spirit was strong and many organizations benefitted from her generous gifts during her lifetime. One of her many legacies will be the “Julia Cousins Laning and Dale Laning Archives & Research Center”. She was a true patron of Venice.

Julia is predeceased by her husband, Dale Laning, and her brother, James Cousins, Sr. She is survived by her nephew, James Cousins, Jr. MD, her nieces, Julie Hannon and MaryRobinson, and many great nephews and nieces. Her family acknowledges her amazing caregivers for their wonderful care throughout their time with Julia.

Donations may be made in Julia’s memory to: Gulf Coast Community Foundation 601 Tamiami Trail South, Venice, FL 34285 Include on the memo line: In Memory of Julia Cousins Laning

There will be a celebration of Julia’s life on Friday July 22, 2022 at 1:00 PM, at Farley Funeral Home, 265 Nokomis Ave. S., Venice, FL 34285. The public is invited to attend.