Willis P. Lawrie

Willis “Bill” Patten Lawrie of Moneta, Virginia was born January 11, 1953 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.  He went home to his heavenly Father June 19, 2017 surrounded by his loving family.  He was a man of steadfast Christian faith.  Brilliant but humble, loving, gentle and hard-working, he will be greatly missed by many.  Bill loved science and wanted to contribute to society even after his passing, so at his request his body has been donated to science and research.  A memorial service will be held at Radford Baptist Church on Sunday, June 25th at 4pm.

Bill attended Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia and received his Masters of Architecture specializing in solar design.   He became an internationally recognized, award winning architect of forensic labs, including the Roanoke Lab, Quantico FBI lab, the Central Forensic Science Lab in Richmond, and the largest forensic lab in North America, located in Toronto, Canada.  He also designed beautiful residential homes nestled amongst the woods, featuring solar and geothermal power.

Bill was a loving husband and father who dedicated himself to providing a fulfilling life for his family.  At heart he was an outdoorsman and adventurer who loved to study and appreciate nature.  He enjoyed sharing his passion for astronomy and sailing with those he loved. He relished working with his hands and enjoyed cultivating the land, leaving everything better than he found it.  His faith in God and his love of family was strong and carried him peacefully through his year-long battle with cancer.

He was preceded in passing by his son Steven Robert Lawrie, mother Mary Eaton Lawrie, father Archer Lawrie, brother James Woodman Lawrie, and sister Esther Anne “Nancy” Lawrie.  He is survived by his wife Susan Kay Lawrie, daughter Bonnie Anne Blankenship, son Christopher Lee Lawrie, and brother Peter Eaton Lawrie.

To send condolences online please visit obituaries.tharpfuneralhome.com. Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory, Bedford is assisting the family.