Gary Wayne Lawson was born on March 27, 1944 to the late Maurice E. and Hilma W. Massey Lawson. He died in his sleep of natural causes on June 18, 2020 at the Belmont Village Assisted Living Community in Burbank, California.

Gary had two older brothers, Maury and Bobby, and a younger sister, Linda. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but moved to Ardmore in high school. He met his wife, Ann Forsythe, at Ardmore High School. He gained early local fame as a guitar player in the band, The Allusions. Music would continue to be an important influence throughout his life.

He received a B.A. degree in Sociology from Central State College in Oklahoma in 1967. That same year, he and Ann were married in Ardmore.

He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force shortly after graduation. He was stationed in England when he and Ann had their first child, son London in 1971.

After leaving the Air Force, Gary earned post-graduate degrees in Psychology at Ball State University and Southern Illinois University. In 1975 he accepted a teaching position with Ball State that involved living in several countries in Europe. Gary and Ann had their second child, daughter Lindsey, while living in Germany in 1976.

After returning to the States, Gary and family lived briefly in Durant, Oklahoma and Carbondale, Illinois. In 1979 he accepted a teaching position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The family lived there for 5 years before moving to San Diego, California in 1984.

In San Diego, Gary worked for the United States International University, now Alliant University. He was a professor in the Psychology department for 27 years, retiring in 2011. He also maintained a private practice, providing counseling for people struggling with addiction and for the elderly. He wrote and edited several textbooks on treating addiction.

Gary is survived by his wife, Ann, their children, London and Lindsey, and grandchildren, Maui, Apollo, Rocco and Finley.

Click here to view the virtual Memorial Service held for Gary on July 12th, 2020