Laura Blad, wife of former Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad, dies at 56
Published at | Updated at
POCATELLO — Laura Marie Blad, wife of former Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad, died Sunday, Oct. 18, following a six-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. She was 56.
According to an obituary published by Wilks Funeral Home, Laura died in her husband’s arms, surrounded by her children.
Read Laura Marie Blad’s obituary here
A mother of four and grandmother to six, Laura was a steadfast presence beside her husband throughout his 16 years as Pocatello’s mayor.
Brian Blad publicly acknowledged his wife’s lengthy battle with Stage 4 cancer during an emotional farewell ceremony in January, marking the end of his 16 years as Pocatello’s mayor.
During the ceremony, Blad invited Laura to the front of the City Council chambers and thanked her for standing beside him throughout his years in public office and the two decades they shared before he became mayor in 2010.
RELATED: Pocatello bids farewell to departing mayor, council members
“We’ve been through a lot together, and I’m grateful for this woman right here, the best woman I’ve ever met in my life,” Mayor Blad said in his farewell to the city.
At the time, Laura had been battling Stage 4 cancer for nearly six years.
Brian Blad served four terms as Pocatello’s mayor, from January 2010 until January 2026.
EastIdahoNews.com reached out to former Mayor Blad for a comment but has not heard back from him. We will update this article if he responds.
A funeral service for Laura will be held Friday, Oct. 23, at 11 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1440 Lakeview Drive in Pocatello.
A viewing will be held Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 West Chubbuck Road in Chubbuck. An additional viewing will take place Friday beginning at 10 a.m., prior to the funeral service.
Burial will follow at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, 2864 South Fifth Avenue in Pocatello.