Dana Boothby Lawrence October 22, 1939 - January 14, 2O15
Dana Boothby Lawrence went to be with his Lord on January 14,2015. He was 75 years of age. Monday, January 26, 2015, visitation will be available between 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 27,2015 at Colonial Funeral Home, Universal City with Pastor Ron Arbaugh officiating. lnterment will follow at 2:30 Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio with full military honors.
Dana was born in lthaca, New York on October 22, 1939 to Dr. George Hill Mathewson Lawrence and Miriam (Boothby) Lawrence. He spent his childhood in lthaca and East Greenwich, Rhode lsland. During his father's 1950- 51 European sabbatical from Cornell University, Dana was schooled at Gunnesbury prep, near London, and L,Ecole lnternationale in Geneva, Switzerland. He later attended lthaca High School and was graduated from Northfield/Mount Hermon School in 1957. Dana attended Cornell University, College of Architecture, served as president of the Beta Theta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, obtained a private pilot's license, and was graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Shortly thereafter he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, and married Joanne Stranad, his college sweetheart from Summit, New Jersey.
For 22 years, Dana served as a military intelligence officer, with successive postings in Texas, South Carolina, Vietnam - MACV Advisory Team 1-, Hawaii, the Pentagon, United Nations Command - Korea J-2, Washington (DlA/Defense lntelligence College), and back to Texas. During his military career he completed Air Command and Staff College, and the Air War College; obtained an MBA from Webster University, and met DIA requirements - short of a practicum, for a Master of Science degree in Strategic lntelligence. A Vietnam vet, Dana was awarded the Bronze Star, two Air Medals, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry wlth Silver Star device.
After a stint as Director of Operational lntelligence for the Air Force Electronic Security Command, Dana retired in 1983 as a Lt. Colonel. Until the end of the Cold War he worked as an intelligence contractor for the Defense Department, working for Betac Corporation in Texas, Langley VA, Washington D.C., Fort Meade MD, Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philipines, Korea, Japan, Alaska, England, West Germany, and Berlin.
Dana was a resident of Universal City, TX for the past 39 years. At various times he was active in local Christian activities. For several years in the late 1970's he served as president of San Antonio's Northside Chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship lnternational. He was one of originators of the annual Military prayer Breakfast in San Antonio. In recent years, Dana was active in the Alamo City Christian Fellowship food ministry and jail
ministry. He was a member of Calvary Chapel of San Antonio. He loved music and art. Dana was a singer for more than 60 years. He sang in the Mount Hermon Triple Quartet; and as a member of the Cornell Glee Club's Octet, he performed in Moscow, Leningrad, Warsaw, Amsterdam and in London's Westminster Abbey. Since then he lent his strong tenor voice to church choirs and choral groups like the Calvary Chapel choir and the Cibolo Community
Singers.
Dana formed his own graphic design company, DanLaw Graphics, and met the needs of small business owners, entrepreneurs and government contractors. He was Art Editor for the local sports car club newsletter San Antonio Sports Car Association contributing cover illustrations and other artwork. He loved competition, autocrossing his souped-up Honda Civic, and spending time restoring a vintage Datsun 240Z. One of his greatest passions was
ministering to the inmates of the Dominguez State Jail by doing caricatures of them and sharing the love of Jesus through scripture. He was an avid reader, collecting books on art, intelligence literature, and military history.
Those grateful to have shared in his life include his wife of more than 50 years, Joanne S. Lawrence of Universal City, TX; three daughters, Faith Lawrence Favorite, Tina Lawrence Harrell, Suzanne Lawrence Cooke of Tacoma WA; his son, Dana Mathewson Lawrence of Watauga TX; a sister, Celia L. Rice of Durham, NC and nine grandchildren; Christopher Allen Sonnenburg, Ronald Mathew Favorite Jr., Josef Earnest Favorite, Cameron William Cooke, Mackenzie Brooke Lawrence, Corey Earl Harrell, Peyton Boothby Lawrence, Jacob Lawrence Harrell and Zachary Allen Cooke. Preceding Dana in death, were his parents, George and Miriam Lawrence.
Donations in memory of Dana may be given to Malta Medical Ministry: Calvary Chapel San Antonio. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Colonial Funeral Home.
Daddy wrote this and tagged it at the end of his rough drafted obituary. Naturally, we updated it, but we
felt it would be right for him to have the final last words....
"This obituary was drafted on April 27, 2007. Obviously, at 762 words, it needs to be pared down considerably before printing. At least I've done my duty, had
my say - the last word? Now it's up to you. At last, MY editing days are OVER!"
-Dana B. Lawrence*
