They called her ‘Killer’ from the elbows she would throw on the basketball court. But a more fitting tribute to her on-field abilities was the nickname “Dale-ette”: a female version of the Dolphins QB who could do it all on the field. [See Dale Baxter ]

Laura Stewart was fleet of foot, accurate, competitive and a leader who demanded the best from her teammates and her self. And she left her mark on all those she played with and against. The "mark" was the cross from the point of the ball. She threw hard and far. Harder than any woman before her or since.

“There were a bunch of great quarterbacks... I’d have to give it to Killer as that woman had the most powerful arm in the league. One time when I intercepted her, I had my hands in perfect catching position but it didn’t matter. The ball blasted through my fingers, bounced off my neck leaving a little X mark on my esophagus, and then bounced back into my still outstretched arms for the interception. I think I was too stunned and struggling for breath to run!” recalls Tiffany.

A fitness fanatic (5’9 135 lbs) Laura took up football back in 1982 when she and her “old” basketball buddies “put together a team.”

“A QB of unparalleled ability. No female every threw the ball more accurately or with more velocity, always a tight spiral on the money and you had better be ready for it or it would bust your fingers or bruise your body. She was super fit and a fierce competitor that thrived in the finals of League games, Provincials, or Nationals..She got better as the games got tougher,” says Lynn Leclair,[See Lynn Leclair ] one of Laura’s favorite targets.

“Killer would throw the slants and the hooks but what she really loved was the deep ball. (At Nationals against the Voyageurs) Their coach is yelling out “onze” and I’m like that’s french for 11 - it must be one on one. And I yell out its man defence. And that’s all killer needs to hear and she’s going deep to Lynn.. TD.” says their coach Larry Doan[See Larry Doan ]. “Killer ALWAYS played great in the big games. She was a true champ and leader.”

Knee surgery slowed her down later in her career but nothing tempered her competitiveness. Killer was an intimidating presence even to her teammates, one of whom describes her as having the "piercing look of an eagle" - that made her scared to drop a pass, even in practice.

Marla Britton remembers "She use to love to get into the rushers head, she would sit back and wait until they committed and then she’d make her move, they didn’t stand a chance."
Once during a playoff game the rusher from Kaban tackled her (accidently on a wet field) . Laura was on top of her within seconds and had the rusher face down in the mud and pushed off her head to get up. It earned her a one game suspension.

"She was incredibly athletic and one of the most competitive athletes I have come across, threw the hardest ball I have had to catch, expected a great deal from her teammates but also expected it of herself -- "

-Morgan Kyle

"Killer ...we all miss her but will never forget her....
She had an amazing combination of speed, quickness and arm strength. She threw 60 yds easily . Her quickness was reduced after a torn ACL but she was still very fast."

-Larry Doan

"Killer QBed for Labatt’s and I remember as a defender having a bitch of a time reading her. She had quite the arm and she could run even after her knee surgery"

-Laurie Ebenal

Killer was amazing! I remember rushing Killer, blocking a ball and having the cross imprint from the tip of the ball on my arm for over a week. The strength and power she had was unbelievable, her distance was like nothing I have ever seen and her accuracy phenomenal. "

-Andrea Brauner

"Killer and myself split the games and her long game was perfectly balanced with my short marching game. Laura (Killer) could throw the football the longest and hardest in Canada during those years.
She was an unbelievable athlete and I miss her everyday."

-Radar (Debbie Moore)

"Laura was a competitor. She loved to compete and was in her element when she was on the field. She was intense and focused in the huddles and was demanding with her receivers. Her passes were like bullets and came in with alot of zip. It was not uncommon for her balls to leave their X mark on your bicep if you used your body instead of your hands to bring in her passes. She got intense pleasure sending rookie on endless streak patterns particularly after a night of socializing at the May Bowl.”

-Deb Huband

Laura Stewart died in 2005 from breast cancer, she was 49.