Richard "Dick" Lawson

Richard “Dick” Lawson, 89, of Sumner, Washington, passed away on September 2, 2026, in Puyallup, Washington.

Richard was born on September 29, 1936, at Fort Lewis, Washington. He grew up in Tacoma as one of nine children, surrounded by the noise, humor, and close ties that come with a large family in a busy household. He attended Lincoln High School in Tacoma, later spent several years in Bellevue, and eventually settled in Sumner where he spent much of his life.

He served three years in active duty with the U.S. Army as a military policeman, followed by six years in the Army Reserve, and received an honorable discharge.

Richard had a long commitment to public service and to the Sumner community. He served for many years on the Sumner Planning Commission and City Council and later served as Mayor. He also participated in Sumner Rotary and was involved in other local civic activities throughout his life.

Richard spent many years at McLendon Hardware in Sumner before finishing his career in property management with State Farm Insurance.

Richard was first married to Eunice Smith for 31 years, and together they raised three sons. He later married Christine Lawson, with whom he enjoyed 34 years of marriage until his passing.

Outside of his work and public service, Richard and Christine enjoyed home improvement projects. Richard was always busy with a project, either at the house, in his shop, or while helping friends and family.

Golf and travel were a large part of Richard’s life. Richard loved to travel abroad and explore new places with Christine. As a member of Linden Golf & Country Club he spent countless hours on the course with friends and family, though it was sometimes hard to tell whether he was there to play golf or simply to find a new audience for his jokes. His humor is one of the things people remember most about him. He enjoyed conversation, stories, and the chance to make people laugh.

He was preceded in death by his son, Eric Lawson; stepson, Jeff Keiser; siblings Rosemary Kendall, David Lawson, Charles Lawson, Thomas Lawson, and Robert Lawson.

He is survived by his wife, Christine Lawson; his sons, Craig Lawson and Todd Lawson; his stepson, Jon Keiser; his grandchildren, Justin Lawson, Kristen Lawson, Zachary Lawson, Sarah Lawson, Nathan Keiser, and Michael Keiser; great-grandchildren Sylvie Keiser and Taylor Lawson; daughter-in-law Deann Lawson; and siblings Gerald Lawson, Charlotte Damberg, and Gloria Hubbard.

A private memorial service will be held at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent Washington, and a celebration of his life will be scheduled at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the veterans’ nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project.