William J. Lawrence passed away Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at the Country House in Greenville, Delaware, with his wife by his side after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 84.
Bill was born on June 27, 1941, and was raised in Aurora, Illinois. He received his B.S. from the University of Arizona and received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.
It was while Bill was in graduate school that he met his future wife Lesley on a blind date. Lesley made spaghetti for dinner that evening. Bill always claimed he married her for her spaghetti. They celebrated the anniversary of the day they met with a spaghetti dinner each October 22nd. They were married on June 17, 1967, in Iowa City, Iowa.
After receiving his Ph.D. in 1969, Bill accepted a position with the DuPont Company, and they moved to Wilmington, Delaware. He worked for DuPont for nearly thirty years. He had numerous transfers which included moves to Waverly, Tennessee, and Antioch, California. Following Bill’s retirement from DuPont, he worked for several years as a senior consultant with URS Corporation.
Bill had a wonderful sense of humor. He enjoyed music and reading, especially history non-fiction. The family enjoyed visiting American historical sites. They celebrated Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg twice. He was an avid Eagles fan and enjoyed taking his two sons to games as a season ticket holder for a number of years. He remained a loyal fan even during the lean years and rejoiced when the Eagles finally won Super Bowl LII and Super Bowl LIX. He was always ready to discuss any aspect of the Eagles team and play at the slightest suggestion.
After retirement Bill and Lesley started wintering in Gilbert, Arizona, where they could be closer to their daughter Terry Fowler and her family. They enjoyed travel in the U.S. and abroad. But their favorite vacations for many years were with their family at the beach: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Cannon Beach, Oregon. Bill was a devoted, loving husband and father, grandfather, and brother. Nothing gave him more pleasure than spending time with his family. He will be greatly missed for his smile and his sense of fun.
Bill was predeceased by his father William F. Lawrence and mother Natalie (Miller) Lawrence, his brother Richard (Patricia), his brother Robert and sister-in-law Mary. He is survived by his beloved wife of fifty-eight years, Lesley (Dunlap) Lawrence, his son Kent, Newark, Delaware, daughter Theresa (Andre) Fowler, Queen Creek, Arizona, and son Peter (Susan), Northborough, Massachusetts, his granddaughters, Amanda Lawrence, Mallory Fowler, Scarlett Lawrence, and Brenna Fowler, his sister Sandra Kehrein, St. Peters, Missouri, and brother-in-law Bruce Dunlap, San Diego, California, as well as several nieces and nephews.
His memorial service will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Naaman and Darley Roads, Wilmington, Delaware, at 11:00 AM, Sunday, July 20.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Bill’s memory to Trinity Presbyterian Church.
