Paul Matthews Lawrence returned to his Heavenly Father on Jan. 5, 2014, at 8:57 a.m., in Issaquah.
He was born in Evanston, Wyoming, on Aug. 13, 1960, to David Elmer Lawrence and Karen Blanche Matthews Lawrence. In his youth, he lived in Big Piney, Wyoming, where his father was working in the oil industry.
![Paul Lawrence]()
Paul Lawrence
He loved the outdoors and the various seasons. The big blue skies when the snow came was one of his favorite times of the year. The close community environment was what helped him to develop his love of people and the importance of giving to family, friends and neighbors.
He attended high school at Big Piney High School, and then his senior year he was invited to live with his relatives in Layton, Utah, and he attended his senior year at Davis High School, where he graduated in 1978. He then attended various colleges in the area — Brigham Young University, University of Utah and Utah State. During this time, he was caring for the needs of his mother and sisters because his father has passed away when he was age 18.
While attending college, he worked in retail and in the hospitality industry at The Hotel Utah and The Brigham Street Inn in Salt Lake City, Utah. This career set the stage for who Paul was in his life, someone who was hospitable and focused on helping everyone have an experience of comfort and beauty. He learned in his work attention to detail and a clean, peaceful environment were keys to success at work and relationships.
In 1984, he met his sweetheart Susan at a business function. They soon became great friends and spent a lot of time together snow-skiing, exploring the area around Salt Lake and talking about their future goals. This friendship blossomed to the point where Paul asked for her hand in marriage and they were married Jan. 28, 1985, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They promptly moved to the Seattle area and began their lives together, and lived in this area and raised their family.
Paul was offered a job at Boeing Computer Service working in their networking area. During this time, he completed his education and graduated from Seattle University with a degree in business marketing. After graduation, he was offered a job at Microsoft in marketing. Next, he worked in partnership with his wife in the financial service industry at Piper Jaffray. He then had his own consulting company in marketing, PML Consulting, until his passing.
He was sealed to his sweetheart, Susan Hamblin Lawrence, in the Seattle Temple on Aug. 6, 1987. Paul was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in most every position in the church. He loved serving in the Bishopric of the Issaquah 5th Ward, in the Bellevue Stake, and teaching the youth and working with the young men in the Boy Scouts of America.
His hobbies were activities with his wife and children. He enjoyed most worldwide travel, outdoor activities (especially snow-skiing), humanitarian and church service, performing arts, friends and neighbors. He was a loyal and most giving husband, father, son, brother and friend. He was a great listener and when with him you knew you were loved.
Paul is survived by his wife Susan Hamblin Lawrence; his four children, Megan Brooke Lawrence, Emily Ann Lawrence, Jacob David Lawrence and Alexander Jay Lawrence; his mother Karen Blanche Matthews Lawrence; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Kathy Marie Lawrence Riordan (husband Larry Riordan, deceased), Linda Sue Lawrence, Diane Blanche Lawrence Brown (husband, Nordell Brown), Julie Lynn Lawrence Peacock (husband, J. Brooks Peacock) and Coleen Kay Lawrence.
He was preceded in death by his father David Elmer Lawrence.
He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Paul’s name to Kids2Families (www.kids2families.org) or to Humanitarian Aid for the LDS Church at www.lds.org.
