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William Henry Lawrence passed away November 30,  2017.  He was born 6 January, 1926, In Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his Aunt, Celia Lawrence, and his father, Robert Lawrence.  He grew up next to Dunmore's grand Nie Aug Park.  He spent many summer days by its waterfalls, steep cliffs, museum, amusement park, tunnels and woods.  The hobbies of his youth included home-made marionette shows.  In his teens, he would purchase used radios for parts and make transmitters and amplifiers and recording gear which he would use with a musical record cutting machine he purchased.  In his late teens, he passed his FCC license and was able to work for the local radio station.  A unknown benefactor applied to RCA electronics school in New York City, on his behalf (The acceptance letter was a surprise) and he spend an entire fall there until he was drafted.

He was trained further in electronics by the Army Air Corps.  He was on a ship in the Pacific Ocean when Japan surrendered.  Instead of hitting the beach as part of the invasion, he drove his radio truck onto the beach as part of the peaceful occupation. He was a Sergeant in the United States Army in the 436th Signal Heavy Construction Company as a radio repairman.
 
When he returned to Scranton, he met and married Elizabeth C. Jones.  Soon he has enrolled in the Electrical Engineering undergraduate program at Syracuse University through the G.I. Bill.  While at Syracuse, they lived in married student housing, while he studied and worked on the television assembly line at General Electric.
 
After graduation, he applied for a research position at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor where he eventually received a patent for RADAR design. For 25 years, Bill  was the Associate Director of Continuing Engineering Education  at the University of Michigan.   He was a past Chapter President of the American Society of Tool and Manufacturing Engineers (ASTME) / Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), Ann Arbor Area Chapter 79.  After his retirement, He traveled North America, with his wife at his side, for many years.
 
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Elizabeth. Survivors include a son, William H. Lawrence Jr. (Kip) of San Angelo, TX; a daughter, Mary Elizabeth (David) Leach of Ann Arbor; two grandchildren, Tyler & Marisa Leach.
 
 A private burial of ashes will be held at the First United Methodist Church Memorial Garden in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Memorial contributions may be made to Ann Arbor First United Methodist Church, 120 S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

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Comments  

#1 M. Tuffy 2017-12-14 10:52
My condolences to the family. May you draw close to God in prayer and he will sustain you.-Psalms 55:22
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