Obituary - John Haswell Lawson Aug. 21, 1938-June 14, 2023

John Haswell Lawson was born in Glasgow, Montana, August 21, 1938, to Dr. and Mrs. (Doris) Chester Lawson.

As an infant, he traveled to China with his parents where they were medical missionaries. 

He and his parents were interned as prisoners of war when the United States declared war on Japan. The family was part of a diplomatic POW exchange between Japan and the USA in 1944.

Upon returning to the U.S., the family settled in Havre, Montana, where Dr. Lawson became one of the founding members of the Havre Clinic, and where they became a family of four with the birth of Jane in 1946.

John attended Havre schools, graduating with the Havre High School class of 1956. He received his BA from the University of Montana in 1960, and went on to obtain a master’s in history from the University of Iowa.

In 1961, John and first wife, Susan, were accepted into the second wave of the Peace corps volunteers under J.F. Kennedy. They were sent to Ethiopia for two years and their first son, Douglas, was born there.

John received his doctorate in Middle Eastern History from the University of Utah in 1966, but was diverted by happenstance into the world of the development of the artificial heart. He spent the next few decades training cardiothoracic surgical teams on the implantation of ventricular assist devices.

In 1979, the family of five, which now included twin sons, Malcolm and Duncan, moved to California, where John began working at Thoratec Laboratories. He loved California: the hiking, the restaurants, the culture. 

In his 50s, he was offered a job in France at Baxter International and traveled throughout Europe for his work. 

In 2004, John and his second wife, Judy, retired and moved from France to Silver City, New Mexico. There he became actively involved with helping develop the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning at Western New Mexico University, played tennis almost daily, was a morning fixture at his favorite coffee house and enjoyed delving into the history and environment of his new home.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Doris and Chester Lawson.

He is survived by his three sons, Douglas, Malcolm and Duncan and their mother, Susan, his sister, Jane Kuka, and her children and grandchildren. He is also survived by his wife and companion of the past 30 years, Judy, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

John was a gentle soul who loved music, poetry, animals and good food, not necessarily in that order. His memory will always be cherished by those who love him deeply. 

No services are planned and his ashes will be buried alongside his parents and grandparents at Highland Cemetery in Havre at a future date.