Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence

Hanna Rose Lawrence and Rebecca Mark Lawrence were born the evening of March 17, 2017—St. Patrick’s Day. In hindsight, it is not surprising that Hanna wanted to enter this world early—causing frantic phone calls and hurried sprints to the hospital from across the state. Hanna loved being the instigator of the sort of joyful chaos that made your heart skip a beat but also brought a huge smile to your face. Rebecca joined us just two minutes after Hanna. She was a master at using her twin’s fearlessness to her own advantage, often sending Hanna first to make sure the coast was clear and then following close behind.

From the start they were so very different, but they fit together perfectly. They were best friends and partners in crime. They loved each other—and their big sister Harper—like only sisters can love.

Hanna had endless energy. She simply did not need as much sleep as most people, and certainly not as much as Rebecca. It was not unusual to find her still reading books in bed hours past bedtime and well past the point her roommate Rebecca had already passed out. She would bound out of bed in the morning with no complaints and was typically dressed, fed, and ready for the day before anyone else in the house.

Hanna made friends anywhere she went. School. Camp. Playgrounds. Airplanes. Hanna loved being with people and having constant playmates. She was friendly and outgoing. She loved attention. She was a natural leader.

Hanna was always imagining and creating. She would regale family and friends with stories of “Hanna World,” an alternate universe she would visit in her own head that was filled with candy and fun and really anything a kid could want. The walls of every room in her home are covered in the artwork and messages Hanna taped up. Some of this “creating” was less constructive. Like the drawings that filled her parents’ checkbook pages. Or the purple H’s she drew on the cream-colored chairs in the living room. Or the giant H she carved into the railing of the staircase. Now to be fair to Hanna, there is no proof she is the one responsible for these H’s. She never admitted it and always stuck to her story that her 14-year-old sister Harper was responsible. Harper’s name starts with an H, too, Hanna would point out.

Hanna’s heart was enormous. She always had lots of questions about people in need and how she could help. She always wanted to be kind—to everyone. Among other things, she really questioned why her fellow Rangers fans would boo the Astros players at baseball games with her Grandpa. She understood very early the value of a dollar. On a trip to New York, when the family wanted to do a pedicab ride in Central Park, Hanna was shocked to hear the driver’s price. She shook her head and insisted that was “too many dollars.” After a few rounds of negotiations with this then 6-year-old, the driver finally reached a number that was acceptable to Hanna. Twins are natural negotiators, and Hanna had mastered that skill. Hanna knew that you could do a lot of good in the world with the money you have. For as long as her parents can remember, Hanna wanted to learn to cook and open a restaurant to feed people in need.

Hanna ran on sugar. This girl craved cakes and cookies and candy more than a normal kid. No day was complete without multiple desserts. Hanna was an “ask for forgiveness—rather than permission” kind of kid. She was known to smuggle candy to school and day camp to share with friends. And she always had her own secret candy stashes hidden around the house. Whenever her parents would find one and call her on it, Hanna would incredulously ask, “Why does everyone always think it was me??” (It was because it was always her.) Her parents have no doubt they will continue to find her candy stashes and wrappers hidden in drawers and bags for months to come.

In first grade, her class was reading from the book Clementine, where one of the characters explains that in every family with at least two children there is a “hard one” and an “easy one.” Hanna’s teacher reports that Hanna proudly announced to the class that she was the “hard one” in her family. Hanna was not actually a “hard one”—but she was absolutely the kind of kid who would take pride in being the “hard one.”

Rebecca was the fashionista of the family, but Hanna had her own style, and a few clear favorite t-shirts that she wore often. One said “Free to Be Me.” Another, purchased after seeing the musical Matilda, said “Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.” And another simply said “Brave.” There is no better way to sum up Hanna.

Rebecca was not the opposite of Hanna—like Hanna, she was loving, imaginative, and sweet. But her parents marveled at how different these two sisters were. Rebecca had a soft voice and loved calm, quiet, and snuggles. She hated fireworks. Family movie night—with blankets, stuffed animals, and a big bowl of popcorn—was her favorite Friday night. Rebecca’s bed mirrored the environment Becca wanted: it was covered with an absurd number of stuffed animals.

Rebecca loved animals. All animals. But especially big cats. One year for Halloween she wanted to be a cheetah. The next year, a leopard. Yes, those are the same costume—but for Rebecca, this was a very important distinction. Until very recently, if you asked Rebecca what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would answer: a cheetah. At some point she shifted and decided she wanted to be a teacher. She explained that she liked kids and thought it would be fun. This is a testament to all of the wonderful teachers she and Hanna had in their lives—who created safe, happy, and fun environments for them to grow.

Rebecca was happy, sweet, and kind. She had a smile that would just melt your heart. But do not let Rebecca’s baby blue eyes and sweet smile fool you. Rebecca was strong and could be feisty. Not too long ago, Rebecca gave her mom a major eye-roll in response to something she was asked to do. Upon seeing this, her mom asked, “Did you just roll your eyes at me?” Rebecca was surprised by her mom’s reaction and responded with a grin: “What?…I do it all the time!”

Rebecca was so independent. Hanna preferred an audience, but Rebecca was very comfortable doing her own thing. She loved to read and play silly games on her iPad. She was far more technologically adept than most of the family and could bypass just about any password her parents put in place. It also meant that, to Hanna’s frustration, Rebecca usually controlled the TV remote.

Rebecca’s laugh was infectious. She loved physical comedy. If a movie involved a pie to the face or some silly falls, Rebecca would just belly laugh. But no one could make Rebecca laugh like Hanna could. And Hanna would do anything for a laugh from Rebecca.

Rebecca always had a vision for her appearance. She knew how she wanted her hair to look, what accessories to wear, and what clothes spoke to her on that particular day. She would even sneak some makeup if that aligned with that day’s vision. This started very early for her. At the age of two, she loved a certain orange-striped dress so much that her parents had to go buy extras for fear that it would not be available on a day she just had to wear it. She loved tank tops—she would just call them “tops.” She yearned for the day she would be old enough to add a shock of color to her hair.

Rebecca did not have her sister’s frugality. Let’s just say the finer things in life suited her. And

her parents knew she would have some expensive tastes as she got older. They got a glimpse of this recently. At camp, they loaded the commissary accounts for the three girls with some money for the month. In their first five days there, neither Harper nor Hanna spent a dime. Rebecca had already blown through more than half of it. But her list of purchases was so Rebecca. She bought a snuggly blanket, a bracelet, and a purse.

Hanna and Rebecca were best friends and loved each other so much. And they adored their big sister Harper. As any sister would understand, they both knew how to press Harper’s buttons—but more than anything, they looked up to her and wanted to be part of her world. And Harper was always the best big sister. Harper would reward them with her own currency that she called “Harper Bucks.” She would host movie nights and sister sleepovers. She always looked out for them—and checked in on them one more time every single night right before she went to bed. She showered them with love.

Hanna and Rebecca attended the Temple Emanu-El Early Childhood Education Center, followed by University Park Elementary where they just completed second grade.

At age 8, Hanna and Rebecca were lost in the flood waters of the Guadalupe River that overran Camp Mystic in central Texas on July 4, 2025. The family is so grateful for the love and support from family, friends, co-workers, and community throughout this tragedy. The family recognizes and thanks the first responders who led and are still leading the efforts in Kerr County, and the volunteers in Kerr County who provided help and comfort during some of the most difficult moments the family will ever endure, including those at Kerrville’s Trinity Baptist Church, Light on the Hill at Mount Wesley, and Ingram Elementary School. The family also owes a very special thank you to the Highland Park Independent School District Police Department, which traveled to Kerrville, supported, advocated, assisted in the search for Hanna and Rebecca, and helped in so many ways that the family will never forget.

Hanna and Rebecca are survived by so many who loved them so much, including their parents Lacy and John Lawrence and big sister Harper, maternal grandparents Betty and John H. Martin, paternal grandparents Roberta and David Lawrence Jr., aunt and uncle Meredith and Andreas Reshoft and their children Sasha and Skyler, uncle David Lawrence III, aunt and uncle Jennifer and Walter Prather and their children Katharine and David, aunt and uncle Amanda and Bailey Wood and their children Julia and Katherine, aunt Dana Lawrence, and loving friends and members of Team Lawrence Maricela Garcia and Jessica Frank.

Services were held on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Church of the Incarnation in Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to contribute to the Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence Charitable Fund at The Dallas Foundation, which will support causes that amplify Hanna and Rebecca's passions and spread the joys and the meaning of their lives to others. https://www.dallasfoundation.org/hanna-rebecca-lawrence-charitable-fund