Leonard Alvin Lawson Jr.

Leonard Alvin Lawson, Jr., died on February 14, 2024, in Lincoln, CA. He was 90 years old. Born in Ukiah, CA, on January 15, 1934, to Leonard Alvin Lawson, Sr. and Mary Elise Hiatt, Len had one younger brother, William, who preceded him in death.

Len and his family moved several times within California after starting out in Ukiah. He spent many years in District 10, outside of Marysville, graduating from Marysville High School. He attended Yuba College before serving in the United States Air Force. His time as a radar technician from 1953-1957 took him to Texas, Mississippi, Arizona, Germany and back to California.

Upon his discharge, he attended and graduated from Chico State College with a math/computer degree. He worked at Sacramento's McClellan Air Force Base, then in Redding, CA, followed by Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in Livermore, CA. It was here that he planted his family for the next fifty-plus years.

Len married Shirley Jean Fouch of Yuba City, CA, in 1953. They raised five children, born in four different cities, during their 62 years of marriage which ended sooner than anyone would have chosen upon Shirley's death.

Len is survived by daughters, Deborah Anne Olsen (Randy), Camas, WA, and Denise Marie Hernandez, Tuolumne, CA; and son, Michael Dean (Carol), Wheatland, CA. Len is survived by 14 grandchildren and 13 1/2 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by sons, Richard Allen (Kathy Roddy), Jamestown, CA, and Stuart James (Becky) Sandy, UT. He was preceded in death by one grandchild.

Throughout his lifetime, Len enjoyed many hobbies. These included: playing banjo, recording and listening to old radio shows, reading and collecting thousands of books (including Wodehouse and Sherlock Holmes), and RV-traveling with Shirley around the United States and Canada.

In 2020, Len moved in with his son and daughter-in-law in Wheatland, CA, during the Covid-19 pandemic. From there, he moved into an assisted living facility in Rocklin, CA, before passing away in Lincoln, CA.

A small graveside service is planned for Len at the Lofton Cemetery outside of Wheatland, CA.