Dr. William “Bill” Harvey Lawson Jr., 85, of Taylor returned home to the Lord surrounded by his loved ones on Sept. 14, 2018.
A celebration of his life will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Valley View Baptist Church, located at 1212 S. Main St. in Snowflake. Those of you who knew Bill well knew he was a plaid shirt and jeans kind of guy, feel free to wear that if you would like or something purple for Judy. Should you desire, remembrances may be made in lieu of flowers as donations to the Burton Baptist Church Mission Fund, 6566 W. Burton Rd, Show Low, AZ 85901.
Bill was born in San Bernardino, Calif., on Dec. 4, 1932, to William Harvey Lawson Sr. and Rosa Maude Reed Lawson. He was the second oldest of four children. He moved around a lot as a child because his father worked for the mines. One of his favorite places was Punkin Center, where he recalled learning several grades worth of education in a single year with his favorite teacher, Ruth Morris, in a one-room schoolhouse. The family continued to move, finally ending up in Clifton where he attended high school and graduated as the valedictorian in 1951.
Bill completed his pre-med education at the University of Arizona school of Pharmacy. While working as a pharmacist, he then put himself through medical school at the University of Colorado, graduating in 1964. He dedicated the next 53 years to serving others and doing what he loved, practicing family medicine and pediatrics, with the last 35 of those years spent practicing in the White Mountains.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Judy; his children, Cathy, Mike, Matt, Russ, Destiny and Chelsie; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Rosemary Lawson; his parents, William and Rosa; brother, Lyle; sister, Janice; infant daughter, Emily; and his beloved dog, Abbie.
Silver Creek Mortuary of Taylor handled the arrangements.
