Obituary of John James Lawyer

John James “Jack” Lawyer, 81, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2020 in his home. A funeral service will be held at Holy Family Parish in Little Falls, NY on Friday October 23, 2020 at 9am with Fr. Brian Slezak, of Holy Family Parish, officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Herkimer, NY. Chapman-Moser will be handling the funeral arrangements. John was born in Little Falls, NY to John Francis Lawyer and Hannah Virginia Daly on June 27, 1939. He graduated from St Mary's Academy in 1957 and went on to attend Siena College. He later went on to serve in the US army and was stationed at camp Darby in Pisa Italy. For over 40 years and even into retirement, John worked as a salesman. He loved the interaction with a customer and getting out there to meet people. His career led him from selling French's mustard then to office supplies with Fliegers, Spectrum Office Products and Staples. With each year of service he brought ever increasing roles and in 2004 he retired from his work as a vice president and regional manager for Staples Business advantage. He received several diplomas from the US Army along with an Army Commendation Medal. As a leader in his profession, he won numerous awards for excellence. John was an avid softball player, playing in leagues well into his late 70’s. He loved Baseball, Basketball and Football. He considered himself an above average golfer. He was a member of the B.P.O.E. Elks Clifton Park, NY Lodge # 2466 and served as an officer in Lodge #42 in Little Falls, NY. He was previously involved with Kiwanis, Rotary as well as several religious organizations involved with the Catholic Church. John is survived by his wife of 56 years JoAnn Lawyer; their children Deborah, her husband Craig Crump, Pamela, her husband James Kohler, James and his wife Darcy Lawyer. He was blessed with 5 beautiful grandchildren, Katharine Kohler, Caroline and Colton Crump, Greyson and Everett Lawyer. He is preceded in death by his sisters Joanne, her husband Richard Hartnett, Carolyn and her husband Donald Buckley. He is survived by many nieces and nephews, their children and grandchildren. John and his family will be forever grateful for the care he received at the VA hospitals in Albany, NY, Gainesville, FL and Richmond, VA. We would like to extend our gratitude to the staff of Kindred Hospice for their caring and compassion. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Prostate Cancer Foundation , 1250 Fourth Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 1.800.757.CURE (2873) , Main 310.570.4700