Dedicated to the memory of Jane Lawrence

Jane Lawrence passed away peacefully on Friday 28th August 2020.

She was an extremely inspiring lady. More affectionately known as Commander Jane. She was one of the first female engineers at Warwick university, had a high flying career at IBM and dedicated most of her retired life to a range of charitable causes.

She might be gone but her legacy will always live on. We're sure many of you have many fond memories of Jane, and we'd love it if you can share your memories on this page as well as celebrate her life at a party at Langlands Leisure Centre in 2021.

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In memory of Jane. Such a kind, lovely and thoughtful person who is missed by so many of us. Gill and Colin Flexon
Gillian
25th September 2020
We were blessed when Jane came into our Franco-Brit lives along with her Mum Joan and Jack, as a little girl of 8 around 1956, at Grandpa and Grandma Mitchell’s medieval Hotel at Guérande, Brittany Lovely people the Goodgers - and, in spite of the leak in the ceiling of «la Chambre des Moines», as positive Jane remembered, they came back summer after summer. Jane became like family, we would go to the beach together, and she became fluent in French. I can still see her, a bright happy prep school child , and hear the ring of her laugh on her swing at the end of the beautifully flowered garden of "Gothic Cottage", the family home in Edgbaston. Not long ago, Jane and I reminisced together over the magic and warmth of the sweet smelling mauve Cyclax cosmetics that surrounded Joan . She was an extremely bright student, I admired her for being a young woman in what seemed some avant-garde male mathematics field... Then along came lovely Graham - but I missed their wedding only because my son Antoine was born in Paris on 9th May 1970 ! Jane helped by coming to my Paris Uni lecturing; they paid regular visits to our home in Fontenay over half a century and offered their generous easy-going hospitality from Emsworth - and the Tall Ship Race - to Langlands She faithfully kept in touch with the people she loved in France - my Mum Pauline, lately attending her 95th, and sisters Nicolle and Yvonne in Brittany . With warmth and sensitivity to others, Jane put so much energy, initiative and enthusiasm in her undertakings, often making things look simple - which of course they were not, she enjoyed a joke and kept her radiant smile with courage through her illness. Peace and love to you Jane , we shall be with you at noon on September 25th . And with Graham, Emma and Syd and all your family Claudine Briand Genu Mitchell and sons Christophe, Stéphane & Antoine
Claudine
25th September 2020
Jane was one of the first people I met when I started work in the WTAS System Department at IBM RESPOND at Havant, Hampshire in April 1971.  She and Graham were almost the first friends I made after moving from the US to the UK. They were very important as I made what was a difficult transition from US to UK life.  After a couple of years I left RESPOND for another job, and it was a long time before we met up again - at the Swanmore Bridge Club.  They were at my final goodbye party when I left the UK to return to the US in April 2018.  Forty-five years!  I have many good memories - supper and bridge 4s (my favourite was one where Diana Empson was the fourth), Meon Valley NADFAS occasions.  I never took a Lawrence Chinese Tour though I wish I had. I really enjoyed Jane and Graham's visit to my new place in Alexandria VA in 2018, as they fled north ahead of Hurricane Florence. Graham has written the visit up very well. I just have one postscript to the story. It's about the parking ticket. I had approached a security guard about the parking place, and he said I couldn't park there.  Under pressure of time, and my lack of any knowledge of other places in the area (a problem of depending on WAZE for directions).  We returned to a parking ticket.  When Jane and Graham had moved north from here, I wrote out the cheque for the parking ticket, but decided to check the Washington DC parking violation website.  They record every parking ticket. In the two years since the visit (and I just checked), the parking ticket has not been recorded. The cheque I wrote, which is still at the back of my cheque book has become a souvenir of a good visit and friendship. I am so sorry to hear of Jane's death, and feel very privileged to have known her. Marcia
Marcia
18th September 2020
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Purple Community Fund (PCF) Rotary Foundation of the UK Rowans Hospice
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