Robert Henry Lawson

Robert Henry Lawson, affectionately known to friends and family as Bob, was welcomed into the arms of Jesus our Loving Savior on Thursday July 24, 2025, surrounded by the warmth of his home in Avondale Estates, Georgia. Bob was born on October 4, 1931 on the Fred Cross Ranch along the Smoky Hill River south of Wilson Kansas. From 1932 to 1935, Bob and his parents lived on the Old Lawson Ranch, homesteaded from the Union Pacific Railway in 1878 by his great grandfather Sidney Robert Lawson and grandfather Harry Hunt Lawson who was 9 years old at the time when the extended Lawson family came to Kansas from Mayville New York. Bob's life was a testament to the resilience and hard work that defined his generation. After digging out from the dirt storms in 1934, the grasshoppers invaded and ate most of the crops in 1936. These events shaped Bob's character and instilled in him the virtues of courage and perseverance. After several relocations within Kansas, Bob's formative years in Hunter, Lucas, Luray, and finally Sylvan Grove, culminated in his graduation from Sylvan Grove High School in 1949.
Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy on January 3, 1951 and served with distinction as a Radioman Third Class on the USS Hopewell DD-681 during the Korean War. While Bob was on the USS Hopewell, it earned 4 bronze service engagement stars on her Korean Service Ribbon and Bob was entitled to wear the National Defense, the United Nations, the China, and the Korean service Ribbons. His honorable discharge on November 2, 1954 marked the end of his active military service but his commitment to his fellow servicemen never waned. Later in life, Bob was instrumental in organizing the biannual reunions for his fellow USS Hopewell shipmates bringing together comrades to honor their shared history and sacrifices.
Following his military service, Bob utilized the GI Bill to pursue higher education at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas where he graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. His career began in earnest with the FDIC as a bank examiner, a role that would take him to Dodge City, Kansas. It was there that Bob met his beloved Sue Ann Sipes, who shared a home with his second cousin Clara Deiter. Sue and Clara were dedicated school teachers, and it wasn't long before Bob and Sue's lives became intertwined. Their loving union began on August 27, 1961 and lasted for over 6 decades until Sue Ann passed away in June of 2022. Together, they built a family and a legacy of love. Bob's career took him from the FDIC to the First National Bank and Trust Company in Oklahoma City to the Kansas State Bank in Wichita, Kansas, and ultimately to the Idabel National Bank in Idabel, Oklahoma where he served as Vice President and Auditor until his retirement in 1995.
A man of faith, Bob actively served in the First Presbyterian Church in Idabel, Oklahoma serving as a Deacon and later as an Elder. His commitment to service extended into multiple areas of community life, including roles as Director of the Idabel Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, board member of the United Way, and an honored member of the NeTseO Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America where he received the Silver Beaver and Bronze Bear Awards. Bob belonged to the American Legion Post 8 in Idabel and also held life memberships with Idabel's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4777, The American Legion Post 359 in Sylvan Grove, Kansas and the Idabel Lion's Club where he was a Past President and served as Treasurer for 20 years. He is a Lifetime Member of the USS Hopewell Association.
In retirement, Bob and Sue embraced travel, exploring destinations like Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, England, Italy, Greece and more. Bob enjoyed gardening, delving into family genealogy, and was a fan of classic Westerns, especially "Gunsmoke".
After moving to Avondale Estates, Georgia in 2014, Bob continued to embody the spirit of community by joining the Columbia Presbyterian Church serving as an Elder and becoming a member of The American Legion Post 66.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents Joseph Henry and Lillian Rebecca (Williams) Lawson, and his wife Sue Ann (Sipes) Lawson. His memory is cherished by his children Rebecca Sue of the home, Robert Sipes Lawson and wife Laura of Ellenwood, Georgia, his sister Dulcie June Kulich and his niece Sheryl Potts and husband Joe all of Lawrence, Kansas and nephew Steve Kulich and wife Anne and the extended family and friends who were blessed to know him.
A Memorial Service celebrating Bob's life was held on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia with Rev.Tom Hagood officiating. A video recording of Bob's Memorial Service can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1120658683. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 1:00 P.M. at the Sylvan Grove Cemetery 653 E. Kiowa Drive in Sylvan Grove, Kansas with Sharon Ringler presiding. Following the service, refreshments will be available at the First Presbyterian Church in Sylvan Grove, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in his memory to the Columbia Presbyterian Church at 711 Columbia Drive in Decatur, Georgia 30030, or to the First Presbyterian Church at 119 E. Third St. P.O. Box 36 in Sylvan Grove, Kansas 67481, or to the giver's favorite church or charity The Graveside Service Arrangements have been entrusted to Rentschler Family Mortuaries www.rfmortuaries.com.