Roy Wayne Lawrence

May 14, 1930 - March 29, 2020

Roy Wayne Lawrence of Farmingdale, N.J. passed away March 29. Each day of his nearly 90 years of life was blessed with health, activity, joy and an undeniable and dedicated love for his immediate and extended family. Born in Caldwell, Idaho, Roy grew up on his parents’ farm among the peach and other fruit trees, which planted in him a love of agriculture and gardening. After serving in the Air Force during the Korean War and moving to the New York metropolitan area, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Rutgers University and Fordham University, respectively, eventually developing a keen and intuitive understanding of life insurance and its numerous products; employee benefits; pensions and retirement plans. Roy became a Certified Life Underwriter and managed employee benefits for various international companies, a career which enabled him to go into business for himself and successfully support human resources departments of several large companies as well as individuals with retirement planning for numerous years. Roy’s first priority throughout his adult life was always his wife Paula, his three daughters and his extended family. When not with them, Roy developed and refined passions for nature photography, which included building his own darkrooms and winning several awards; sailing; crafting remote-controlled airplanes and boats; square dancing; reading his beloved New York Times and mystery novels; playing bridge; traveling and collecting artwork during those travels. His favorite places to visit included Hawaii, where he and his wife Paula often wintered, and Italy’s Amalfi Coast. An engineer at heart with a practical, naturally optimistic and deeply compassionate perspective on life, Roy blessed those fortunate enough to know, love and understand him. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Paula Lawrence, daughters Kathy Ruis, June Lawrence and Carol Lawrence; grandchildren Erika Eisinger and Alex Koelmel, and great-granddaughters Kayla, Morgan and Kenzie Eisinger. For online condolences, please visit Roy's memorial page at www.bongarzonefuneralhome.com