Anne Hunter Lawrence, wife of Joe Roby and mother to Casey Roby, passed away at home in Seattle on Tuesday, March 18th. Anne was born on September 23, 1954 in Munich, Germany to Lt. General Richard Lawrence and Patsy Lawrence (nee Weise). Anne attended elementary and high schools across the country as the Lawrence family moved on orders of the US Army as General Lawrence pursued his distinguished military career. Somewhat shy in her youth, Anne spent a lot of time reading books, a pleasure she enjoyed throughout her life. Accepted at several colleges, in 1972 she elected to attend the University of Vermont and in her second year there decide to pursue an interest in Russian area studies. Learning the University of Washington (Seattle) had a superior Russian program, and that a close friend was transferring to UW, Anne transferred to UW and in 1976 completed her degree in Russian area studies (i.e. language, culture, history, etc.). Being the depth of the Cold War, it was extremely difficult to obtain a visa to enter the USSR, or get work there to support one’s self. Anne, persistent as always, found a way and was soon employed in Moscow as a nanny to an American embassy family. Ordinary Russians wouldn’t associate with Americans for fear of getting into trouble with the Soviet government. In spite of this, Anne made many Russian friends, primarily with those who had already suffered at the hands of their government and had little else to loose; dissidents, Orthodox Christian clergy and Jews. Anne thoroughly enjoyed her time in Moscow and loved the friends she made there. Others who were with her in those days have said that Anne’s Russian was near fluent and that Russians, hearing a slight accent, often asked if she was Latvian or Lithuanian, but never guessed she was American. After a year in Moscow, she elected to move to Garmish-Partenkirchen, Germany where the US military operated a Russian Institute and the Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC). AFRC operated several hotels, a ski lodge, a campground, a golf course, a ski school as well as mountaineering and white water kayaking programs. AFRC also employed a lot of young civilians, Americans as well as EU citizens. Anne soon found herself working and living among a large, international group of young people who used AFRC in Garmisch as a base from which they traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa and the Far East. It was there that Anne met her future husband, Joe Roby, as well as a great number of other people that the couple continues to maintain friendships with to this day. Anne and Joe and their friends skied, hiked and bicycled throughout the beautiful mountains surrounding Garmisch. In 1979, Anne and Joe
departed on a one year budget backpacking trip through the far east, traveling extensively in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. Over the entire year, Anne and Joe managed on a budget of just over $5 per day each, including the cost of air fares! They were extreme budget travelers! Before returning to the USA late that year, they worked for several weeks in Korea as English language teachers, refilling their meager coffers before heading home. They elected to return home via Hawaii. This would be the first of many trips to Hawaii for Anne and Joe, but little did they suspect it at the time. Once in the USA, Anne and Joe first stayed with Joe’s brother, John, in Los Angles before visiting friends in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, then continuing on to Joe’s home town of Evansville, Indiana where Anne spent a week before she traveled on to be with her parents in Washington, DC. Young and broke, Anne and Joe agreed to stay with their parents to work, save money and reunite 3 months later. In the meantime, they needed to agree where they would move to in the USA to start this new phase of their life together. Unfortunately, being apart was more difficult than they had imagined and after a bit more than 2 months with just a little money and an old car, in early 1980 they headed to Seattle, a decision with which they have remained extremely happy with to this day.In Seattle, Joe quickly found work in a boat shop and Anne went to work in a computer supply company. In the first year after their arrival in Seattle, Anne and Joe had committed to each other to spending a life together and they wanted to let the world know of their commitment. On an absolutely stunning, summer-like day on March 22, 1981 in a beautiful setting of lawns, forests, lakes and peacocks (no, really!) and supported by a dozen of their friends Anne and Joe were married. Another joint decision made which has never been regretted. Anne and Joe were getting the hang of this “joint decision making”.Later that year Anne changed jobs and with a very supportive new manager, Anne quickly grew professionally taking on ever more responsibility. She was soon the manager of procurement and facilities, and more than 60 people, for a large and still growing company. Joe however was feeling restricted in his employment opportunities by the poor economy and his lack of a university degree. Anne urged Joe to return to school. Anne’s father, General Lawrence, urged Joe to go back to school. Joe went crab fishing in Alaska! After being seriously seasick for several days crossing the Gulf of Alaska Joe became convinced of the brilliantness of his wife and father in-law. Joe went back to school. Anne put Joe through college, financially supporting her student-husband for more than four years without complaint, but with great pride and infinite encouragement and patience. In the middle of his university program, and with the generous assistance of Dick and Pat Lawrence, Joe and Anne bought their home in Seattle for the past 30 years and which is cherished by Anne’s family to this day. Joe spent much of the subsequent years upgrading the 100 year old house. Joe graduated from UW in 1986 (exactly 10 years late…) with a degree in mechanical engineering, and took his first engineering job shortly thereafter. In 1987, Joe changed jobs to work at Robbins, the firm he has worked for since. Finally, Joe and Anne were both working, again! But, not for long. In 1989 Anne decided she needed a career change, not for more money or responsibility but rather for more mental stimulation and possibly for a job with far few employees…or better yet, with none! Anne quit work and started school to get an associate’s degree in computer programming. Another joint decision which the couple never regretted.Shortly after Anne returned from her 10th wedding anniversary celebration weekend in Vancouver, Canada she was pleasantly surprised to learn she was pregnant. Actually, Anne and Joe were ecstatic to learn Anne was pregnant! Oh, and scared. They were very scared. Fortunately, they were needlessly scared as was proven when on a stunningly beautiful day without a cloud in the sky (I know with us living in Seattle you find all this “sunny day” stuff hard to believe, but believe me (Joe), the sun has shined on our family a lot in life! … okay, back to the story) …on a beautiful day on November 22nd, 1991, eight months after our anniversary, and about four weeks early, at 6:58 a.m. arrived the most perfect child any parent could wish for, Elena Case Roby. Casey’s arrival was followed by a gorgeous sunrise which Anne and I shared while holding our wonderful new baby. Anne spent only one night in the hospital, then went back to college for midterms and three nights later our family of three went to Thanksgiving dinner with our close friends, a Thanksgiving I’ll never forget with all of our friends getting to see and hold our tiny beautiful baby, Casey.Anne soon graduated and took a job with the State of Washington’s Computer Information Systems group (CIS), writing computer programs for the state’s community and technical colleges, a group she remained with until her death. Anne enjoyed the work at CIS but she really reveled in the community of her coworkers. Those coworkers repaid Anne’s love for them many times over in the past year and a half, showing unbelievable generosity and taking incredible care of Anne’s every need as she continued to try to work even through her debilitating illness. Anne’s work community was incredibly important to her. Throughout her illness she went to work as often and for as long as she could. She wanted to be with her CIS buddies, to try to help them get the job done.Of course, in the 22 years since Casey was born, Anne’s primary job was loving and taking care of Casey, a job she did to perfection. There is no doubt of that, and Casey will happily admit it and appreciates it. (i.e. and I quote, “Dad can be fun, but when I’m sick I want my mom because no one can take better care of me!”) In Casey’s first years, Anne had to suffer through some extremely frightening weeks as Casey was three times taken to the emergency room and subsequently hospitalized for multiple days for severe asthma. Fortunately, Anne got better at recognizing symptoms and taught us to get aggressive with early treatment at the onset of an asthma attack which seemed to help a lot. Fortunately, as Casey grew older the frequency and intensity of the attacks slowly declined. Anne and Joe started life together overseas and have continued to travel internationally since. Anne has traveled to Saudi Arabia, Syria, the USSR, Austria, Germany, Italy, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, Canada, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Monaco, England, Norway and to Spain many wonderful times! In Spain they have a wonderful group of friends developed over years of visits. Anne and Joe have celebrated all of their milestone wedding anniversaries with travel. Their 5th anniversary was celebrated on the island Isla Mujeres in Mexico, the 10th in Vancouver, Canada, the 15th in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, the 20th in Kawai, Hawaii, 25th in Barcelona Spain, the 30th in Florence, Italy. For many years, winter holidays were spent skiing in Canada, often with Anne’s parents, who have been good traveling companions over the past 30 years. Summers often involved a trip back to Joe’s Indiana boyhood home where Casey would play with all of her many wonderful cousins, chase lightening bugs and snuggle into the loving laps of Grandma and Grandpa, while Anne and Joe drank beer and wine and ate barbeque with Joe’s mom and dad and brothers and sister.Anne was intelligent, warm, caring, generous, compassionate and giving. She was passionate about education, alternative health care, social justice, and equality and was a lifelong feminist. She was beautiful. Anne was a wonderful wife and the best mother, ever! She was a good friend and a great coworker and team member. She was curious and loved to be given difficult challenges, to seek out unique solutions, to learn something 
new to solve a problem. She never stopped reading and in spite of having strongly held views. She continually researched, evolved and learned and changed. Anne had a wonderful smile and an infectious, sometimes explosive laugh that was heard often at dinner parties. Anne liked to have fun. She loved good food, wine and music and sharing them with good friends. She is going to be missed by many.Anne is survived by her husband of 33 years, Joe Roby, her daughter, Casey Roby, her parents, Lt. General Richard Lawrence and Patsy Lawrence, her brother Scott Lawrence and a number of brothers and sisters in-law and a very large number of nieces, nephews and cousins all of whom should know they were well loved by Anne. We loved Anne deeply and will miss her always. A gathering in celebration of Anne’s life will be held from 3 to 6 pm on Friday, April 25th, at Boedel Hall in Seattle. Bloedel Hall is located at the back of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, at 1245 Tenth Avenue East, Seattle, WA 98102. (On the North end of Seattle’s Capitol Hill). The entrance to Boedel Hall is at the very back of the cathedral building. There is a large parking lot. As Anne would have wanted it, dress is informal and there will be beverages and light snacks. Please, come to help us celebrate the wonderful life she shared with us.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, a donation to Anne’s favorite charity, the Fistula Foundation, would be much appreciated. Please, go to; http://www.fistulafoundation.org/donate/