RICHARD LAWRENCE Obituary

LAWRENCE--Richard H.

April 20, 1927 - March 29, 2017. Richard Hurd Lawrence (Dick) died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Bedford, New York, on March 29, of natural causes, in the company of the love of his life, his wife of 63 years, Starr Oliver Lawrence. He was 89 years old. Born in London, England on April 20, 1927 to George Franklyn and Mary Hurd Lawrence, he attended the Eton School and Saint Bernard's School in New York City, and graduated from the Groton School in 1945. Dick enlisted in the United States Army, and served in Germany during the war and its aftermath. After his tour of duty, he entered Yale University and graduated in 1950. Upon graduation from Yale, he returned to New York, where he entered the family business, Folkhard and Lawrence, New York City representatives and importers of fine wools from some of the most famous Scottish mills. In 1965, he joined Axe Houghton, an independent money management firm in Tarrytown, New York, during which time he studied investing and business at Columbia University. In 1969, Dick and Edward Auchincloss founded Auchincloss & Lawrence, a money management firm in New York City, a partnership that would thrive for forty years until the business was sold. Shortly after his marriage in 1953, he moved to Bedford, New York, where he lived for over 63 years when he was not in his beloved second home on Block Island. He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law: James and Jill, Richard Jr. and Dee, and Philip and Jill. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, David B. and Hala Lawrence, and eight grandchildren: Dr. Katharine, Alexandra, Skye, Blake, Adele, Philip, Jr., George, and Daisy, with whom he loved spending time travelling, on the beach at Block Island, and playing Parcheesi and card games. Throughout his life, Dick was passionate about community service and heavily engaged within the Northern Westchester community. He was a member of the first group of Democratic Party members elected to the Town Council in Bedford, NY. He was long active in Democratic politics, and could be counted upon to call, canvass, and drum up petition support whenever asked. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at South Kent School in Connecticut, and as a member of the Board of A-HOME in Westchester, New York, for many years, and helped raise capital for these institutions right up until his passing. He was a loyal member of St. Mark's Church in Mt. Kisco, NY. A memorial service will be held at 11am, on Saturday, April 8th, at St. Mark's Church in Mt. Kisco, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to South Kent School (40 Bulls Bridge Road, South Kent, CT 06785 Phone (860) 927-3539 Fax (888) 803-0040) or A-HOME (Tel. 914-741-0740 or [email protected]

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Published by New York Times on Apr. 5, 2017.

Memories and Condolences
for RICHARD LAWRENCE

4 Entries

April 11, 2017

So sorry for your loss, may his memories live in the hearts and prayers of love ones bringing comfort as he R.I.P

April 6, 2017

Jim Hackett

April 4, 2017

I had the honor and pleasure of knowing Mr. Lawrence for over forty years, and with that comes so many fine stories from those years on Block Island, in Mt. Kisco, in Hong Kong. Everybody who knew Mr. Lawrence has similar stories and memories, and in myriad variations, so no need here to repeat those stories here. You're probably already thinking now of your own stories with Mr. Lawrence, right? We all share many great times through him. A unique man, in so many ways.

There is one story, though, if I may, that captures something for me. I got married in Atlanta in 1990. With so many of my friends concentrated in the Northeast or scattered around the world, I wasn't sure how many could actually make the trip to Atlanta. But my concerns dissipated when friends began in their numbers to arrive in Atlanta on Tuesday of that week the wedding was on Saturday having decided to make a big thing of it. Dicky and Dee came in from Hong Kong; Dicky was my best man. Jimmy and Jill arrived with their splendid good cheer. Everybody was there. We had a magic time.

On the day of the wedding, Dicky and Dee were with me at the house, getting ready, when a taxi showed up out front. Who is this? Mr. Lawrence stepped out of the taxi, all smiles, laughing and hugging and shaking hands, proclaiming, My goodness! What a great day this is going to be! A great day indeed, made greater still by Mr. Lawrence paying me the high honor of travelling to Atlanta to attend my wedding. My goodness!

Of the many photographs of that day, there are two in particular that come to mind now. One is of Mr. Lawrence, Dicky, Dee, me, Mugs, Jill and Jimmy, side by side, left to right, smiling and dignified for a nice portrait. The other photograph is of the same group moments later, everyone with two fingers up in rabbit ears behind the head of the person next to them, all of us in the happy disarray of full laughter. Classic.

Mr. Lawrence was always kind to me, always welcoming, always generous, and always magnificently entertaining. I am honored to know him, and honored to be a friend. I admire Mr. Lawrence so much that I hope with all my heart that I never did anything to disappoint him. He certainly never disappointed me, nor any of his family, nor any of his friends. That was not in his nature. He was a grand man.

God bless you, Mr. Lawrence, and God bless all of the Lawrence family.