Roscoe Lawless

Roscoe Lawless
Date Of Birth: 05/23/1943
Date of Death: 01/15/2025
Roscoe Charles Lawless passed away peacefully on January 15, 2025. He is preceded in death by his father, Marvin E. Lawless, his mother, Reba J. Garrett-Lawless and his sister, Lowana Lawless-Clark. Roscoe is survived by his wife, Sue A. McFarland-Lawless, son Trevor Lawless and wife, Rebecca Lawless of Dallas, TX, daughter Krista Lawless and husband, Patrick Luft of Newberg, OR, son Elliott Lawless and wife, Danielle Lawless of Beaverton, OR, and daughter Reba Lawless-Berdakin and husband, Damian Berdakin of Salem, OR. He is also survived by 10 beloved grandchildren.
Roscoe was born in Marshfield, MO as the second child of Marvin and Reba Lawless. After moving to Springfield, MO with his family during his early childhood, he began primary school. They then moved to Tucson, AZ at age seven, where he went on to graduate from Catalina High School. Roscoe served in the U.S. National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve. He attended the University of Arizona, receiving his Bachelor of Architecture before attending a graduate program at Rice University in Houston, TX where he earned a Master of Architecture degree.
He married Sue Anne McFarland in Nogales, AZ in 1965 and the couple moved to Houston to complete graduate studies and begin his architectural career at Caudill, Rowlett and Scott Architects. Roscoe and Sue eventually moved to the Pacific Northwest, making their home in Washington State, where they began their family with the birth of their first two children. Roscoe's career took them to a number of locations within Washington and Oregon, before having their third child in Portland, Oregon, where Roscoe worked for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Architecture. Eventually Roscoe and his family moved into a historic farm house near Beaverton, OR where he and Sue had their fourth child and established Lawless Rhododendron Nursery. Roscoe built an additional building on the land to house his newly founded private architectural firm. Over the following 30 plus years, Roscoe's beautiful and unique architectural designs included a variety of notable projects. He was featured in Architect magazine and was recognized as a specialized designer in projects such as Eau Claire Estates in Calgary, Canada, a number of new construction and remodel projects with Providence Health, and an eclectic collection of projects including community colleges, churches and homes. Roscoe retired from his firm, only to continue working for the State of Oregon as the State Architect for Healthcare Facilities and took on additional projects ad hoc. He was a giving man, using his architectural skills to design and aid in building a hospital and other functional structures for communities in Guatemala. He fully retired after suffering a stroke in 2020.
Roscoe and Sue received joy in world travel, where they found adventure, education and a love of history. They instilled this love in their children, making it a priority to travel with them in a way that prioritized the arts and deep respect for cultures other than their own. For Roscoe's children, memories of traveling often include visions of their dad, paintbrush in hand, sitting in front of an architectural masterpiece, recreating it with skill onto watercolor paper. In later years, his creative expression included writing poetry. His spirituality and love for his family and the world around him was evident in all of his creative expression.
Roscoe enjoyed fishing and his time in nature. He planted and tended to a "hobby vineyard" from which he bottled wine and participated in local wine making groups. His family and friends enjoyed gathering for the yearly "crush" where they worked together to harvest and press grapes.
Roscoe loved his family. He was a dedicated father and husband. He was also a spiritual man, with a love for God that developed and changed over time. He was a life-long learner who bettered his relationships and perspectives until his final day. He will be remembered fondly for his dry, understated and timely humor and one-liners as well as his growing compassion and love for others.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Program at Portland State University. Roscoe benefited greatly from this program. https://giving.psuf.org/campaigns/50223/donations/new?designation=strokerecoveryandrehabilitationprogram
Thank you in advance for any donations made. We appreciate your generosity.
If you have photos or memories of Roscoe that you would like to share via this tribute website, the family would be very grateful.