Arthur F. Lawrence

ATHENS, GEORGIA - Arthur F. Lawrence, 84, passed away on April 11, 2013 at Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, Georgia. He was born on December 20, 1928 in Newark, New Jersey to Frederick and Vilette Overly Lawrence. Art grew up in Bennington, Vermont and attended Clark School in Vermont. As a young man, he developed a love of the outdoors; snow skiing and hiking extensively in the mountains of Vermont. Art attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts where he received a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering in 1952. While at Northeastern, he was a member of Phi Gamma Pi fraternity. He met Barbara Hunter, a nurse at New England Deaconess Hospital and they married in 1952. Their first daughter, Sue, was born prior to the family's relocation to New Mexico where Art was employed at Sandia Laboratory. While in New Mexico, Art and several friends joined together to form the Albuquerque Ski Club. Together, they started and built the Sandia Peak Ski Area. In 1956, a second daughter, Martha was born in Albuquerque. Art and his family relocated to Pennsylvania in 1960 and resided in Jenkintown. He worked at B&F Instruments in Philadelphia until he was recruited to join MTS Systems as sales engineer. His success at MTS brought about further career challenges when he was asked to develop the company’s market in the Midwest. The family relocated to Michigan in 1971. There, he and Barbara were active in their neighborhood and church and Barbara practiced as a public Health Nurse for Oakland County. Art and Barbara retired, eventually moving to Maine to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Art became active in their new community of Greene, where he served in town government for many years. They joined High Street Congregational Church where Art's talents were tapped for the Finance and Building Committees. Art and Barbara became very active in UCC life in Auburn, joining the West Auburn Congregational Church. Grandson Andrew grew up under Art and Barbara's loving influence. Art's projects, tinkering, imagination and patience were a constant source of support and encouragement for Andrew, who chose to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and obtain a degree in Engineering after his high school graduation. Art shared his love of the outdoors with his family, camping and hiking in the Southwest, skiing and sailing whenever the opportunity arose. He was the earliest of converts to computing and maintained active interests in programming and information technology throughout his life.

Art was a steadfast husband to Barbara for 53 years, until her death from cancer in 2006. He remained active in his church community and through it, met Sarah Andersen, a source of great joy. They married in 2007 and actively sought adventures during their new life. In 2011, Art and Sarah moved to Athens, Georgia, nearer their children, where they quickly became active in life at the the First Presbyterian Church of Athens, the Athens Community Council on Aging and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Prior to leaving Maine, Art was honored by the town of Greene, Maine as Grand Master during the Town's 225th centennial. Art was preceeded in death by his parents and first wife, Barbara. He is survived by his wife Sarah, daughters Sue Lawrence and her husband Larry Morris, Martha Lawrence and her husband Robert McArthur, and brother John Lawrence of Ogden, Utah. His grandchildren Arthur Morris, his wife Ashley and great grandson Mason, granddaughter Laura Morris reside in Atlanta. Grandson Andrew Lawrence Kary and his wife Erinn Francis Kary are currently serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in Lesotho. Granddaughter Julia Lawrence McArthur is finishing 8th grade in Athens. Art's stepchildren, Mark Andersen, Paul Andersen and Martha Buffardi and their spouses reside in Texas, Maine, and Georgia. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Athens, 185 E. Hancock Ave, Athens, Georgia 30601 on Monday, April 15th, at 1:30 pm. A reception will be held at the church after the service. Burial will follow at the Old Bennington Church, Bennington, Vermont in summer 2013. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Athens (building fund), West Auburn Congregational Church (Auburn, Maine), or the Jeannette Rankin Foundation. Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com