William K. Lawson Jr.

Retired Fire Captain William K. Lawson, Jr., of Olympia, WA, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, Jan.14, 2012 at Providence St. Peter Hospital with his beloved wife and daughter by his side. He was born on June 12, 1930 in Gloucester, MA, son of the late William and Elsie (Barrett) Lawson. After graduating from Gloucester High School in 1948, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving in the occupational forces following WWII and also during the Korean War. In 1950, Bill was married to Lillian Alexuk of Peabody, MA, where together they made their home and raised their three children. Bill joined the Peabody Fire Dept. in 1956. Achieving the rank of captain, he faithfully served in that capacity until a heart attack in 1987 forced him to retire from the department after 31 years. Following his retirement he worked with a local Council on Aging as a courtesy shuttle driver. In earlier years, Bill enjoyed hunting and fishing. Relocating to Olympia, WA in his senior years never stopped him from rooting for his favorite hometown teams, the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. Mostly, he treasured all time spent with his beloved wife, children, and grandchildren. He was affectionately called "Papa" by his granddaughters, whom he loved to challenge with a competitive game of "Quiddler" every week for the past several years. Bill's alone time with the Lord meant so much to him. His daily time spent in his favorite chair praying and reading his Bible will be a most cherished memory to his devoted wife, Lillian, with whom he shared over 61 years of marriage. He will be dearly missed by all who loved him. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Laurie Patten and her husband Lance of Phillips, ME, Debra Funchion and her husband Michael of Olympia, one son, William Lawson III, also of Olympia, two brothers, Peter Lawson of Gloucester, MA and Roger Lawson of N. Andover, MA, one sister, Susan Day of The Villages, FL, three granddaughters, Erin Zwart and her husband Mark of Coopersburg, PA, Julie Funchion and Nadine Funchion, both of Olympia, WA, two grandsons, Gary Patten of Marina Del Rey, CA and Adam Patten of San Diego CA, and two great-grandsons, Samuel and Gabriel Zwart . A funeral service will be held at Mills & Mills Funeral Home 5725 Littlerock Rd. SW, Tumwater, WA 98512 on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 2:00 p.m., concluding with a graveside service at Mills & Mills Memorial Park. Arrangements are entrusted to Mills & Mills Funeral Home. For additional information or to order flowers please call (360) 357-7743 or visit www.MillsandMillsFunerals.com.