Robert Malcolm Lawrence

Ever pragmatic and organized, our Dad wrote his own obituary many years ago. And while his words cover the basic facts and details of his life, we, his daughters, have more to say about our remarkable Dad.

His words:
CSU Professor Bob Lawrence passed away on October 8, 2023. He was born January 30, 1932, in Emporia, Kansas to Charles S. and Majorie U. Lawrence. Following graduation from Kansas State University where he majored in journalism, he served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force. He then earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Kansas.

Before moving his family to Fort Collins in 1971, he was a research associate at the Hudson Institute, was on the Political Science faculty at Texas Tech, was a research associate at the Stanford Research Institute, and was on the Political Science faculty at the University of Arizona. For ten years, he held an unusual joint appointment in the Political Science departments of Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. He taught classes at CSU in the morning and at CU in the late afternoon. He earned teaching awards at Texas Tech, the University of Arizona, and both Colorado schools. He taught at CSU for 35 years.

Subjects of his books and scholarly articles included explanation about, and defense of, the Federal Government's activities; the use of nuclear weapons to deter large-scale wars; models to analyze energy policies; and arms control and disarmament options. Two of his CSU students established scholarships in his honor, The Bob and Elaine Lawrence Gateway to Law School Scholarship and The Bob Keller - Bob Lawrence Scholarship for Students in the Honors Program at CSU.

He taught his students how to compensate for, and protect against, excessive greed and abuse of power in politics and economics. He urged his students to be bold, daring, and imaginative, and to protect our democracy by working to prevent those two human excesses.

Professor Lawrence was a member of the Beta Theta Pi social fraternity and the Fort Collins Rotary Club. For some 30 years, he coordinated CSU faculty in presenting "Burning Issues" Lectures at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, the former Elaine Woodbury and one daughter, Kay Lawrence. He is survived by three daughters, Karen Lawrence Perse, Nancy Lawrence, and Linda Lawrence, and Chris Neilly, his son-in-law; ten grandchildren, Nick Lawrence and his wife, Katie, Jamie Perse, Val Perse, Mel Perse, Madelin Murphy, Glynnis Murphy, Sophia Pennacchio, Ben Pennacchio, Isabel Neilly, and Olivia Neilly, and two great-grandchildren, Zane and Zoe Lawrence.

Our Dad hung the moon. In his high school yearbook, the words beneath his picture read, "Everybody's friend." And he was. At Kansas State, his nickname was "Mouthpiece." It was fitting that he became a professor. Long after he retired from CSU, he continued to hold office hours at his home. Former students would regularly visit, wanting to know what Professor Lawrence thought about current political and world events.

Our parents' first date was the junior/senior prom, 73 years ago. Our mom was the center of his world. Theirs was a love story for the ages.

In the days ahead, you can honor our Dad by questioning authority, visiting a National Park, cheering on your favorite college team, looking west towards Longs Peak, watching the movie Oppenheimer, reading the Constitution, listening to Blue Moon, staying engaged (democracy is not a spectator sport), taking a hike, voting, and giving back.

Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to The Bob and Elaine Lawrence Gateway to Law School Scholarship or the Food Bank for Larimer County. There will be an Open House honoring our Dad's remarkable life on Sunday, October, 29th from 1 - 4 pm. Please contact the family for more information.