Joseph D. Lawrence Jr. ’58

Joe died March 23, 2020, in Ypsilanti, Mich. He was 83.

He came to Princeton from Deerfield Academy, where he sang in the Glee Club and was a member of the music, art, and chess clubs. At Princeton he was a member of Charter Club and principally active in singing groups, notably the Freshman Quartet, the Glee Club, the Chapel Choir, and the Nassoons. He was a member of the Republican Club, the Pre-Law Society, and the Westminster Foundation.

After graduation he read law at Brasenose College, University of Oxford, and then earned a law degree at the University of Michigan. After practicing law for a few years he joined the administration of SUNY Brockport. All that time he was a major business partner in a GM car dealership in Michigan and Indiana. He retired from SUNY and returned to Ypsilanti (he was a fourth-generation Ypsilantian) and began to restore properties and participate in several music organizations.

Joe was married twice and divorced twice. His public obituary says, “In life, Joe was generous with his time and advice. In death he was financially generous to his community and his alma maters. He is survived by friends and business associates.”

In our 50th-reunion yearbook, Joe wrote a five-column essay about his life, which should be read by all.