Motorhoming and membership in the Family Motor Coach Association were rewarding activities for Russ and Mary Lawler, F119890. They enjoyed the camaraderie with their fellow FMCA members and participated at the chapter, area, and national levels.
Russell Lawler Sr., 93, passed away October 24, 2020. Mary served as FMCA national vice president, Southeast Area, from 1999 to 2003.
“I am blessed to have all those years with him and (to have) covered all the miles,” Mary wrote on her Facebook page. The couple would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in November 2020.
The Lawlers joined FMCA in 1989. They were actively involved with the Florida Panhandlers chapter and volunteered at the annual Southeast Area rallies. Prior to Mary’s election as Southeast Area vice president, she and Russ assisted with family and commercial registration at the rallies.
Don Crawford, F11012, served on FMCA’s Executive Committee at the same time as Mary. “(Russ) was always very friendly; a quiet man,” he recalled. He added that the couple “worked tirelessly” at the Southeast Area rallies in Brooksville, Florida.
When Mary ran for FMCA national secretary in 2003, she noted that they were instrumental in setting up the area rally computer registration program used in conjunction with the FMCA national office. The couple had learned the process while volunteering in commercial registration at FMCA’s 1998 international conventions in Ogden, Utah, and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
During Mary’s tenure as area vice president, Russ assisted her with her national officer duties. He also served on FMCA’s Member Recruitment Committee from 2001 to 2003.
Don Crawford described Russ as “an excellent FMCA member in the highest tradition of FMCA families!”
No services were scheduled.