He graduated from the Choate School. At Princeton he majored in history, joined Cottage Club, and nurtured a special interest in piano. After graduating with high honors, he earned a master’s degree in music from Indiana University in 1956. He was known as a piano virtuoso, performing at the Brevard Music Festival. After two years in the Army, deciding that he “would have more free time for playing the piano,” he joined his brother, Edgar, at a family-owned company as plant manager and vice president. In 1959 he married Penn Anthony, and they had a son, Joseph James Lawton III.
Joe retired when the company was sold in 1982. At age 53, after a period of soul-searching, he decided to pursue more actively his early love of music, history, and the piano, performing at numerous events. His passion was traveling in Europe from a base in Vienna to study the great classical Romantic composers and visit their historic homes. After a long courtship, he married Cindy Craig in 1999. Joe and Cindy enjoyed travel throughout Europe, leading tours for lovers of classical romantic music in the company they formed together, Great Composer Tours.
Joe is survived by his wife, Cindy; son Joseph III; three grandchildren; and his brother, Edgar H. Lawton Jr.