Lawrence S. McDougle

Lawrence "Larry", "Aswad", "Boo" Steven McDougle was born on October 22nd, 1950 at St. John's Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He was the firstborn of three children to the late Lawrence Porter McDougle and Emma Ruth McDougle. He peacefully departed this life on Sunday, December 29th 2024, at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville, New Jersey, with his son Ahmad by his side.
Lawrence was raised in Passaic, New Jersey where he excelled and was a standout student at Passaic High School. His exemplary character and leadership skills granted him membership of the American Lion Jersey Boys State, a prestigious organization focused on the development of young men.
Upon graduating from high school, he earned a full scholarship on the pre-law trcick. He attended Hampton University, where he led the Black Student Union, and Paterson State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law. As an avid activist inspired by Malcolm X, he fought for truth, justice, and equality for Black students throughout his college years. His passion for civil rights law led him to continue his legal aspirations, earning a Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New, Jersey.
Paterson State College is also where he met the love of his life, Denise. The pair had matching afros and were inseparable. Years later, they married, first living in Passaic, with his parents, followed by residences in Nutley (with their Schnauzer Waki) and Lake Hiawatha.
In 1979, their hearts overflowed with joy when they became a family of three, with the birth of their only child, Ahmad Said. Ahmad was the core of their lives. The family later moved to Denville, New Jersey, where they planted new roots and created memories, which included his two precious grandsons, Amir and Ahmad, and daughter-in-law Jalita.
Lawrence's longstanding career as a Marketing Manager for Chemionics - a division of Protech Group - afforded him several opportunities to travel domestically and abroad. However, Las Vegas was his favorite vacation destination, where he often visited with his uncle, Joe Jones. Golf was also one of his favorite pastimes.
Lawrence "Larry", "Aswad", "Boo" is gone but will never be forgotten. His infectious laugh will be embedded in his loved ones' hearts forever, and friends and family will never forget the funny and serious text messages he sent them over the years. More importantly, he was an honorable man with a giving heart and was always available if you needed a helping hand.
He is survived by his wife Denise McDougle, son Ahmad McDougle, daughter in-law Jalita McDougle, grandsons Amir and Ahmad McDougle, sister Sandra McDougle Harris, niece Saquandra Bahiya Heath (including his favorite dog nephew Koda), his sisters-in-law Camelia "Kanifah" Jones and Dora Jones, dearest nephew Mark Chandler, and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins who loved him dearly. He was predeceased by his mother Emma Ruth McDougle, father Lawerence Porter McDougle, and brother Jerry McDougle.