MARY NELL “NELLIE” (THOMAS) LAWRENCE

1942-2016

Mary Nell (“Nellie”) Thomas Lawrence passed away Wednesday, December 21st, 2016 in Alexandria, Va. She was seventy-four.

Nellie was born in Houston, Texas on December 8, 1942, to Marcus Wray and Martha Elizabeth Hutchins Thomas. She graduated from Lamar High School in 1961 and entered SMU. After her marriage, she completed her BA in Education and History in 1965 at LSU-New Orleans.

She married her husband Fred in Houston on July 25, 1964. They began married life in New Orleans where their two sons, Eric and Chris were born. She provided unwavering support and guidance for her family as they moved to McLean, Va., Denver, Co., and finally Alexandria, Va.

Nellie had two passions in life: the unconditional love of her family and a deep intellectual curiosity for lifelong learning and education. Nellie was a certified elementary teacher, a G.E.D coordinator and a docent at the Woodlawn Plantation, Frank Lloyd Wright Pope-Leighey House and the National Portrait Gallery. She was involved in several organizations including P.E.O. International - Chapter J, Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, Smithsonian programs, and OSHER Lifelong Learning. Regularly attending plays, concerts, operas and exhibits, she also loved hiking, backpacking, fishing and skiing in the Rocky Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains.

Nellie is survived by her husband, John Frederick; sons, John Eric and his wife Patricia Thompson Lawrence, and Christopher Alan and his wife Catherine Ann Sheeler Lawrence; and her six loving grandchildren Sadie Oxford Lawrence, John Patrick Lawrence, Beaumont Cunningham Lawrence, Christina Elizabeth Lawrence, John Thomas Lawrence and Mary Caroline Lawrence. She is also survived by her brothers Marcus and Robert Hutchins Thomas along with sister-inlove Lynda Sims Lawrence and nephews Father Robert and Michael Graham Lawrence, and James Thomas.

A memorial service for friends and family will be held in Alexandria on Wednesday, December 28, 2016. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions in Nellie’s memory be directed to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Smithsonian Institution Campaign, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, or the charity of one’s choice.