Dorothy Agnes Lawrence

Dorothy Agnes (Deegan) Lawrence passed peacefully on Wednesday, October 19, 2022. She was three weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. She had survived her father, George, and her mother, Susan, and her five siblings, Eleanor, Jack, Joe, George, and Marie, and the love of her life, husband Richard. She leaves behind her three children: Joan (Stephen Alderman), Marie (Gregory Iacovoni), and her “Favorite Son,” Richard; seven grandchildren: Jason (Inna), Nathan (Amanda), Mike (Michelle), Tom (Nicole), Brendan (Ana), Kathryn, and Sam; and ten great-grandchildren (Henry, Timmy, Raef, Rio, Sunny, Elan, Adley, Sage, Easton, and Charlie). She smiled, cooed over, and loved them all to her last breath, even if she couldn’t always recall their names or their precise location on the family tree.

Dorothy was born November 11, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a policeman dad and a homemaker mom. Her father died when she was 12. Being the youngest of the brood left Dorothy mostly fond memories of her family, friends, and school. She met and married Richard Lawrence, newly home from the war, in 1949 and the children followed pretty quickly. After spending all their early and work years in the Middle Atlantic and New England states, Dorothy and Richard (Dick and Dot) settled in Myrtle Beach for their retirement. They enjoyed a happy life together for 41 years until cancer took him way too early shortly after that move. In the 32 years since her husband’s death, Dorothy never found anyone else worthy of that kind of love. She remained active in St. Michael’s Catholic Church as a Eucharistic Minister and secretary for many years. The Deerfield Women’s Club and “Lunch Bunch” were also a huge part of her life during her days in Myrtle Beach.

To say that Dorothy loved life is an understatement. She gulped it up, laughing, dancing, living it in not-so-bite-sized chunks. Life was much better at a party with friends and family, a Manhattan (the drink, not the island) in hand, a band playing, and a jitterbug happening. She loved her children, adored her grandchildren (although sometimes playfully labeling them “1,” “1A,” etc.), and could not get enough of her great-grands. There is much video of her talking to the pictures of those “babies,” and the smiles she emitted when seeing them lit up the universe. Dorothy was “MomMom” to us all, and we each have at least one unique, often hilarious, occasionally embarrassing, but always touching, story to share about her.

It says a lot about Dorothy that, having given so much love during her long life, she received so much back in her final days. Caregivers, staff, and administrators at her assisted living home stopped by—some on breaks, some on days off—to chat, pray, caress, and cry. She left this world wrapped in a giant hug.

Toward the end, that life-affirming and -loving woman started to slow down—as we all will—and expressed her readiness to go. Clearly, Heaven wasn’t quite ready for her yet, because it took a bit longer than Dorothy wanted. Heaven help Heaven now. She’s with her mom, dad, siblings, daughter-in-love, and almost all of her friends, listening to the Heavenly orchestra, dancing with her sweetheart, sharing Manhattans and playing pinochle with the angels, winning every hand, and entertaining them all with some great stories. Have a sweet afterlife, MomMom. We miss you very much in this one.