Daniel Glenn Lawrence

Dan was born on March 11th, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. As a child, Dan avidly played stickball, spent time with his sister Judy and explored the Museum of Natural History. Nothing compared to his love for the Brooklyn Dodgers—a lifelong love—he never stopped thinking of them as his team, even after they moved to Los Angeles. To this day, a framed picture of Jackie Robinson hangs above Dan’s desk.

Although he initially wanted to be a veterinarian because of his great love for animals, Dan eventually pursued a degree in labor relations from the University of Illinois. Consummate New Yorkers, his parents were terrified by his move to the “Wild West”, but Dan enjoyed adventures far from that home. Later he earned a Masters of Business Administration with specialization in Human Resources from the University of Illinois.

Dan worked first in labor relations, then as a management consultant, specializing in executive compensation and wage management. He was incredibly insightful in matters of business. His problem solving acumen, paired with an ability to infuse humor into all situations, made him a pleasure to work alongside.

Dan married his first wife, Barbara Ann Willis and together they had three sons, David, Gr egory and Keith. After a stint as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army, they moved to Aurora, Illinois. He passed on his love of baseball to his children. Annually, the boys each chose a game to attend at Wrigley Field or Comiskey Park. He was incredibly active with his family and enjoyed all sports, especially golf and tennis.

He married Barbara Lee Salsburg in 1978 after meeting her on a blind date in Chicago. They, along with their daughter Sidra and dog Bubbles, lived in St. Charles, Illinois. In 1984 they moved to Dallas, Texas, and a few years later were joined by his son Keith, daughter-in-law Mary and granddaughter Kama. The family enjoyed spending time together sailing, skiing and swimming. Dan and Barbara especially loved sailing together, taking several self-guided trips around the Virgin Islands. Dan’s boat, the Sea of Dreams, was a great source of joy for him.

An excellent cook, Dan loved grilling and cooking family recipes like Italian Beef and chicken matzo ball soup. He masterfully prepared enormous family meals and even more masterfully shopped for the largest quantities of food imaginable. The family will forever enjoy jokes and memories about Dan’s love for excess; his big heart and tremendous generosity compelled him to make every day as magical and special as possible (and with as many bagels as possible).

Though he loved living in Texas, Dan remained a subscriber of the Champaign–Urbana News Gazette for most of his life. He was a committed fan of the Fighting Illini (in most football seasons an unfortunate choice) and watched all Illinois sports games devotedly right until the end.

To know Dan was to be awash in his generosity of spirit, his impish sense of humor and his infectious love of life. Dan never did anything small, everything was always magical, extravagant,and slightly ludicrous. He reveled in rule breaking and silliness, coaxing his five grandchildren into calling him Papa Whiskey.

He adored spending time with his family. He shone with pride and happiness at large family reunions, surrounded by his children, their spouses and his grandchildren. Dan had the gift of making people feel welcome and his generosity and warmth created friends easily. If he thought it would make you laugh, he would do it and it made it so much fun to be around him. He was a charming, irreverent, scamp and most certainly one of a kind.

Dan was preceded in death by his son Gregory, his parents Estelle and Irving Shapiro and his sister Judy Bendesky. He is survived by his wife Barbara Lee, his sons David and Keith, and their wives, Rhonda and Mary, and his daughter Sidra and her fiancé Nicholas Kiekenapp. He also leaves his five cherished grandchildren, Kama Lawrence Harris and her husband Sean, Madison Lawrence, Matthew Lawrence, Jordan Lawrence and Taylor Lawrence. His great-grandson, Brooks Harris, was a sparkling light in his life.

Funeral services will be held on December 20th, 2022, at Temple Beth-El in Corsicana, TX, at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers the family would like donations sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (https://givenow.lls.org/give/342076/#!/donation/checkout) or to the Southern Oaks Volunteer Fire Dept. (please mail checks to 120 Southern Oaks Dr. Streetman, TX 75859).

Dan, we love you and until we meet again ,may you have fair winds and following seas.