Elaine Theresa Lawrence, 74, died quietly at Patriot’s Colony Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, after her battle with recurrent brain lymphoma.
Born March 8, 1944, in Akron, Ohio, she moved with the family to Towson, Maryland, in her teen years and graduated from Immaculate Conception High School. She then studied business administration at the University of Maryland and Loyola College.
Throughout her long career as an information technology professional, Elaine created and maintained automated systems for a variety of organizations, including the D.C. Superior Court and the University of Maryland. Later while working for Computer Science Corporation and OAO Corporation in Greenbelt, Maryland, she provided software systems engineering and analysis support for Goddard Space Flight Center. She moved with her two boys to Hampton to open and direct the OAO Field Office in Hampton, continuing work on satellite data analysis at NASA/Langley Research Center. During this time, she received several NASA Group Achievement awards.
It was at Langley that she met, and later married, George Lawrence (deceased 2002), with whom she enjoyed playing softball and tennis, bicycling and traveling with their friends. In her second career as a tennis pro she ran the tennis shop at Kiln Creek, taught tennis lessons, coached Grafton High School girls tennis team and became a USTA umpire. In “retirement” at Colonial Heritage, she continued tennis and took up pickleball, bridge and numerous social activities.
She will be missed by her sons, sisters, niece, nephew, far-flung cousins, all her Hampton/Newport News tennis and travel buddies, and her Colonial Heritage sports, bridge and mischief buddies.
Elaine is survived by her sons, Mike Taylor of Richmond and Steve Taylor of Williamsburg; brother, James Flanigan of Baltimore; and sisters, Joan Flanigan of New York, New York, and Lucille Flanigan and Patricia Flanigan of Baltimore, Maryland.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 4, at Weymouth Funeral Home. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, at Weymouth Funeral Home with interment in Peninsula Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s research service organization of your choice or the National Foundation for Cancer Research.
