John F. Lawyer

John F. Lawyer, 91

Schenectady John F. Lawyer, 91,of Rosa Road Schenectady, died Friday, August 26, 2005 at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany after a brief illness.

Born in Watervliet, he was the son of the late William Barber Lawyer and Maria Louisa (Perry) Lawyer and husband of Sara A. Turnage Lawyer.

He earned his Bachelor of Science from Siena College class of 1954 graduating with honors and his Master's degree in Physics from Union College in1962.

Mr. Lawyer was the first black engineer in the nuclear fusion division of the General Electric Company in Schenectady. He joined the transmitter department in 1941. In 1946 he transferred to the General Engineering Laboratory as a laboratory assistant, was named a development engineer in 1954 and retired after 40 years as a physicist in the Nucleonics and Radiation Branch.

John met Sara Turnage in Poughkeepsie, where she was a member of a choir and he played saxophone in a band. Their friendship grew and in June 1940 John and Sara were married. They had eight children. John is survived by his wife Sara, his sons Roger, Gary and Kevin, his daughters Barbara Boone and Linda Stephens, his sisters Lottie Brown and Mary Ward, a host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and loving friends.

Funeral service will be held Friday at 12 noon at the Bryce Funeral Home Inc. 276 Pawling Avenue Troy with Rev. Leonard Comithier, Pastor of the Macedonia Baptist Church in Albany, officiating.

Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home Friday from 11 AM- 12:00 Noon prior to the service. Interment Elmwood Hill Cemetery, in Troy.

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