William John Lawless Jr (1928 - 1983)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Military 1.2 Marriage 1.3 Occupation 1.4 Residences 1.5 Death 2 Special Memories 3 Research Notes 4 Sources

Biography

William John (Bill) Lawless, Jr. was born on 4 Feb 1928, in Dyersburg, Tennessee. His father William Lawless Sr., married his mother Blanche Smith in Sullivan County, Tennessee. ^[1][2]

Military

Bill Jr. went into the Air Force in 1946 and was stationed in Panama as a meteorologist. ^[3]

Marriage

Right after he was discharged in 1949, he married his childhood sweetheart, Blanche Turner, Dec 25 in Martinsville, Virginia^[4]The young couple moved near his parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while he went to school at Temple University Technical Institute for Television Technology.

Bill and moved back to Martinsville after the birth of their first child to live in Bill's grandparent's home. His mother, Blanche Smith, had purchased the home from her siblings share of inheritance and gave it to Bill. Together Blanche and Bill raised 3 girls and 1 boy; Blanche had one miscarriage (William John Lawless III).

Occupation

He opened a TV repair shop adjacent to his home, SKY WAVES TV. During that time, did work for the old Martinsville General Hospital on Starling Ave. Prior to the hospitals closing he gained trust and respect of Hospital management. The electronic industry moved toward solid state and away from the old-fashioned tubes, repairs became more expensive and impractical.

Sky - Waves TV

Bill closed his business and was awarded the Facilities Engineer position at Martinsville Memorial Hospital, the new facility off of Commonwealth Blvd. He worked there for over 10 years. He headed maintenance and construction improvements including the construction of the Mental Health wing. He worked there for over 10 years.^[5]

Hospital Appoints Engineer, Martinsville Bulletin Newspaper

Residences

1930, 115 Moss St, Martinsville, Martinsville City, Virginia, USA. William is listed as William Wood. There were cousins living in the home with the surname Wood. His mother is listed as her maiden name, Smith.^[6]

1940 and 1950, 4924 Pentridge St, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania, USA; lived with his mother and step-father, John R King. 1950, only Blanche and Bill are listed living in the home.^[7][8]

Death

Months before Bill died at a young 55 years, he finished building a new home south of Martinsville.^[5] He died of "Alveolar Cell Carcinoma of Lung with wide spread Metastasis" in 1983. Bill was buried at Roselawn Burial Park, Martinsville, Henry County, Virginia. ^[9][10]

Special Memories

He was quiet spoken with a hilarious dry sense of humor.

He was very studious and kept up with current economic and political news.

As a young man, he played the saxophone. He encouraged all of his children to play an instrument.

Bill loved to play golf. At the birth of his son, he had to be tracked down at the local golf course.

Bill was an active member of the Freemasons, with his father-in-law, Ben Turner and Ben's brother Thomas Turner.^[5]

" I always ask myself in tough situations ‘what would Daddy say or do?’ He always gave sound financial advice and advice from the college of hard knocks. He was very talented in all aspects of his life from music to art, to building and painting. Daddy taught me how to paint a window without getting a speck of paint on the glass! He was a real stickler for perfection and he got it." As remembered by Lydia Kent

Bill died proud of his loving wife and children. ^[5]

Research Notes

On the 1930 US Census William's surname "Wood" is incorrect. He and his mother were living with his grandparents at the time.

Sources

• Special thanks to Sue Leon, Lydia Kent, Jean Chetnik and Frank Lawless for their help in editing and memories

1. ↑ FamilySearch.org: Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950 for William J Lawless and Blanche Grey Smith, 09 May 1927; Sullivan, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 1,928,834.
2. ↑ Newspapers.com, $: "Martinsville Mystery has been cleared," Thee Bee, Danville, Virginia, 31 Mar 1928, page 1
3. ↑ FamilySearch.org: U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 for William J Lawless Jr, "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946" ;College Park, Maryland; U.S. National Archives and Records Administration; NARA; NAID 1263923.
4. ↑ FamilySearch.org: Virginia, Marriage Records, 1936-2014 for William John Lawless and Blanche Hilda Turner; Martinsville, Virginia, United States; certificate 30243, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Accumulated stories and collection of the Fisher Lawless families, Jenny Lawless 13 February 2020
6. ↑ FamilySearch.org: 1930 US Census for William Wood; Martinsville, Henry, Virginia, United States; citing ED 9, sheet 15B, line 90, family 285, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2467; FHL microfilm 2,342,201.
7. ↑ FamilySearch.org: 1940 US Census for William Lawlessin household of John R King, Ward 46, Philadelphia City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing ED 51-2014, sheet 3A, line 35, family 72,NARA digital publication T627; Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
8. ↑ Ancestry.com, $: "1950 United States Federal Census," William Lawless Jr, Ward 46, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing ED 51-2684; line 13; NAID: 43290879. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, Record Group 29. National Archives at Washington, DC., roll 3803.
9. ↑ FamilySearch.org: Virginia, Death Records, 1912-2014 for William Or Bill John Lawless, Martinsville, Henry, Virginia, USA; Virginia, Deaths, 1912–2014. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
10. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #120012656 for William J Lawless, Jr, 10 Oct 1983], Roselawn Burial Park, Martinsville, Martinsville City, Virginia, USA Created by: Sam Eanes, Added: 8 Nov 2013.