Bernadette M. Lawrence

Bernadette (“Bern”) was born on May 13, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York to Peter and Mary (Messina) Rumsey. She grew up in Nyack, NY along with her brother, Peter and her sister, Marianne. At a young age, she took care of her younger brother and sister as her parents both worked. It came naturally to Bern to be in charge, yet, she was first and foremost a nurturer. She had a loving relationship with her Nana, Concetta, who also lived with the family until her death.

After graduating from Nyack High School and attending a year of business school, she began working for Union Carbide Corporation, in Manhattan, where she met her loving husband, Tom, who was a young salesman at the time. Bern and Tom shared a wonderful life together of 55 years, marrying on February 5, 1966 and living in New York and later in Connecticut with their two children, Michael and Jennifer and her parents. In 1998, Bern and Tom along with Bern’s mother, moved to Palm Coast. Her life always revolved around family and friends. Like a typical Italian family, there were regular get togethers, holidays, birthdays, vacations, etc., and each one of them always included baked ziti, good food, drinks and lots of laughter.

Bern loved being a mother. She was fortunate to be able to stay at home to raise Michael and Jennifer. There wasn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for her children. She was a den mother, Brownie Leader, party planner, class mom, basketball/cheerleader coach, mentor and friend. They could talk to her about anything. She was also like a second mother to her nephew and niece, Michael and Monica, especially after her sister’s untimely passing, she was like a sister to Noel, Tom’s sister, and she shared special friendships with her brother and sister, Peter and Marianne. She touched the lives of everyone she met.

As well as her role as a mother, Bern truly loved being a grandmother to her five grandchildren. When she talked about any one of them, her face lit up and her smile stretched from ear to ear. Upon upcoming visits, she would plan and work tirelessly in order to make their time together memorable.

In addition to her love of friends and family, she was a skilled piano player, a world-class chef, a master organizer and party planner. She enjoyed bridge, tennis, the theatre, shopping and decorating. She loved to feed people good food and to entertain. She and Tom loved to travel to new places, tour historic sites and enjoy the culture and food of different regions.

Bern was so very fortunate and blessed and lived a very full life. Her life with Tom was a happy one and her family and friends adored her. She loved to laugh and share moments with everyone. She was a giving, caring, kind-hearted soul who would do what she could for people less fortunate than herself. In sum, Bern was her family’s pillar of strength and matriarch; she was the glue that held all things together. Her death leaves a monumental hole in the hearts of all those who loved her.

She leaves behind her husband of 53 years, Thomas E. Lawrence, two children, Michael (Jennifer Ann) Lawrence of Towson, MD, and Jennifer (Steve) Marcus of Plantation, FL, five grandchildren, Ryan and Sean Lawrence and Ryan, Zach and Hailey Marcus, a brother, Peter (Diana) Rumsey of Tivoli, NY and her beloved dog, Bailey.

Besides her parents, Peter and Mary, she was preceded in death by her sister, Marianne Rumsey.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, March 9, 2019 from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 4600 Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast where a memorial mass will be celebrated. There will also be a viewing prior to the mass, where pictures, videos and the urn will be presented, from 10:00 to 11:00 am.

Memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Lawrence's name to Abandoned Pet Rescue

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