Dr. Leslie Jacob Lawrence

Jay, as he was called by everyone who knew him, was born February 1, 1936, in Canton, Ohio, just minutes before his twin sister, Joan. He was the son of Dr. Leslie Lawrence and Margaret Sabo Lawrence. He went to Lehman High School where he was a member of the swim team and played drums in the band. Jay graduated from Miami University of Ohio in 1958, where he was president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Jay then completed medical school in 1962 at the Ohio State University, and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Jay served in the US Army Medical Corps in Okinawa and in Viet Nam, and the US Special Forces in DeNang. It was while in basic training at Fort Sam Houston that he met the love of his life, Katherine “Sandy” Schuhmacher. The two met on a blind date in August, and were married three months later on October 25, 1963. After a brief honeymoon in San Francisco, Jay flew off to Okinawa, and Sandy flew home to San Antonio. Jay and Sandy reunited on Okinawa, where their first child, Katherine Elizabeth, was born in November 1964.

Upon returning to the US in 1965, Jay and Sandy made their home in Columbus, Ohio, where Jay completed his residency in Radiology at Ohio State University, and then a Fellowship in Nuclear Medicine. Their second child, William Leslie, was born in October 1966. Tired of the cold winters, Jay and Sandy moved to San Antonio, Texas, in the spring of 1970, where they had their third child, Sharon Ruth, later that summer and settled in to make a home.

Board Certified in Radiology, Jay was a member of Radiology Associates, and was Assistant Professor of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology at the University of Texas San Antonio. Jay and four of his partners later formed the private practice Diagnostic Imaging Associates, and together they opened the first stand alone imaging center in Texas, which included MRI. After retiring from Radiology, Jay served 5 years as Medical Director for Aetna in San Antonio.

Jay and Sandy moved to Houston, TX in 2002, where they enjoyed shopping at the Galleria, going to dinner with their grandchildren, and walking with their dogs, Sparky and Timmy. They then moved to Southlake, TX in 2014 to be once again closer to family.

Jay was a wise and wonderful husband and father. He cherished his wife, and gave his children every opportunity to grow and to better themselves. He was our human encyclopedia, our go-to whenever we had a question about anything or needed advice. The memories of his dry sense of humor still make us laugh out loud. He is dearly missed.

The family would like to thank their private caregivers and the amazing staff at Discovery Village Southlake for their loving care of “Dr. Jay” over the past year. We are truly touched by everyone’s patience and sincerity.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents and his two sisters, Joan and Diane, both of whom also succumbed to Alzheimers. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sandy; daughter Katie and Andy Schmidt of Raleigh, NC; son Bill and Stephanie Lawrence of Denver, CO, and their children, Jake and Anna; and daughter Sharon and Patrick Sadd of Colleyville, TX. and their three children, Mallory, Hayden, and Brady.

A memorial service will be held later on in the year.