Laurel Constantinides remembered

Posted: Jul 20, 2011 10:37 PM by John Romero
Updated: Jul 21, 2011 3:31 AM

Friends of the Constantinides are speaking out about a family whose mother and three children were taken in an instant. Alex and Laurel Constantinides adopted 8 year old Hanna and 5 year old Zoey through Chinese Children Charities. They're a group based in the Denver suburb of Centennial that finds adoptive parents for children from China. "They are one of the sweetest couples we've ever known." says Joshua Zhong, the founder of the adoption agency and friend of the family.

Zhong says Alex and Laurel always stand out in his mind as model adoptive parents because of the immense love for their girls. Laurel, he says, loved to show them off. "It was tremendous love. Whenever she would talk about her children you could see a spark in her eye. It was that kind of excitement and that kind of passion." he explains.

Laurel loved being an adoptive parent so much, she became a social worker for Chinese Children Charities. "She decided there was a better way to make a difference in abandoned children's lives so she decided to work with us." says Zhong, "She turned out to be one of the top social workers we've ever had."

Zhong says Laurel had a certain way about her that everyone around her could feel. "She was just wonderful. She had a calming spirit. She had a very positive personality." he says. And though Zhong lovingly remembers the good times, he still can't help but feel sorrow after such a tragic loss. "It's just so devastating." he says "Words cannot express our loss at this moment."