Vivian Lawand

LAWAND, Vivian

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Vivian, cherished sister, aunt, and friend, trailblazer, confidant, and perennial life of the party, at the age of 95.

Born in Montreal, as the second of five children to Ameen and Eloise (Aboud) Lawand, Viv forged her unique path in life, and what a life it was! Her sense of adventure led her to Damascus in the early 1960s where her brother, Tom, was working as an engineer. What was supposed to be a short trip turned into a two-year stay. She held jobs at the U.S. Embassy and the U.N. thanks to her can-do attitude and her fluency in three languages (English, French and Arabic), and turned down at least one marriage proposal.

After returning to Montreal from Syria, she was hired to work as a cultural attaché for Expo `67, the international fair that attracted artists and celebrities from around the world, including the likes of Jackie Onassis and Harry Belafonte. Among the guests were a wealthy family from Atlanta, who lured Vivian and her boss to develop a world class performing arts center for the city. Tragically, the family died in a plane crash and the project was suspended, but Viv's love affair with Atlanta, where she would spend the next six decades of her life, was only just beginning. Soon after, she was hired by McCann-Erickson to work on their prized Coca-Cola account, holding her own as a single woman in the "Mad Men" era of American advertising.

In the late 1970s, she brought her marketing savvy to Ted Turner's budding cable television empire, and was among the first 20 employees of CNN, the world's first 24-hour news channel. In the mid-1980s, she worked on Turner's Goodwill Games, with stints in Moscow and Seattle. The games aimed to build bridges between American and Soviet-block athletes and Viv made her mark - not just for her ability to hold her own with the vodka - but as a goodwill ambassador respected by all. Viv remained at Turner for nearly 20 years, until its sale to Time Warner, which coincided with her official retirement age.

Not one to remain idle, at the age of 65, Viv went on to work at Chapter 11 Books for the next decade, organizing book launches for Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Jane Fonda, among other famous authors.

Her incredibly rich and storied career notwithstanding, Viv will be remembered most for her magnetic personality, her spicy sense of humour, and her generous heart. She regaled friends and family alike with stories of her (at times R-rated) adventures, and forged deep and lasting friendships at every stop along her journey. She brought the same care and joy shared with her loved ones into the community, serving as an active member of the All Saints' Episcopal Church. She was also a proud "single cat lady", an avid book reader, and remained a faithful CNN viewer until her final days.

Predeceased by her sister, Stella; and brother, William, Vivian leaves behind her siblings, Thomas and Nancy; sister-in-law, Claudette; nieces, Kathleen, Christina (Jeff), Sym and Vanessa (Ram); and cherished great-niece, Juliette. She also leaves behind her god-daughter, Anna; and her devoted family of friends, including Charlotte and Mark, Cheryl, Sandra, Ellen S., Debbie, Ellen M., Tom, Nancy, Lee and Elizabeth; among many others whom she loved dearly. Her southern charm, welcoming like a Georgia summer, will be missed forever.

Celebration of life services will be held in both Atlanta and Montreal, in the New Year. If you wish to honour Vivian's memory, we welcome you to make a donation in her name to one of the many causes she supported, including The Atlanta Humane Society, ACLU, and the All Saints' Episcopal + Atlanta.