Lawry Mann

Lawry Webb Mann, 86, passed away peacefully at his home Saturday, September 2, 2017, while surrounded by his loving family. Lawry was a man who gave much to his family, church, community and nation. He made the world a better place and will have a place in our hearts forever. He was born July 9, 1931 in Yakima, Washington. When Lawry was 11 years old, his father Oren, mother Barbara and brother Jerry moved to Candle, Alaska, just south of the Arctic Circle. This was truly a highlight of his life and started his love of travelling. After World War II the family returned to Washington State where Lawry graduated from high school in Ellensburg. He attended college at Central Washington University. Lawry then attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics and then entered the Navy. While attending the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, he met Alice Robles at a church dance in 1955. Lawry and Alice were married at the Los Angeles California Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on May 28, 1956. Two months after they were married, Lawry was assigned as a meteorologist to Iwakuni, Japan where he tracked typhoons and other weather events to keep the Navy pilots and their planes safe. After Lawry left active duty in the Navy, he was offered a job at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1958. The Mann family moved to Seattle, Wash. in 1960, where Lawry attended the University of Washington and worked at Boeing with the first team to computerize airplane design. After returning to Los Alamos in 1964, Lawry worked at LANL’s Controlled Thermonuclear Reaction (CTR) Division, until his retirement in 1991. He served as a group leader for much of the time. Lawry continued his military service in the Navy Reserves, returning many times to the Postgraduate School until his retirement as a Commander. Having served on the county’s Utility Board for several years, Lawry ran for the Los Alamos County Council in 1992. He served on the council for 10 years. He was proud of the relationship he forged between the county, the lab and Federal Government. Lawry was chair of the County Council during the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000 when the entire town was evacuated, testifying to Congress to get Federal aid for the recovery. While on the Council, Lawry was instrumental in getting the Los Alamos-Sarov Sister Cities Initiative started. This initiative was designed to improve cultural understanding with the Russian “secret city” of Sarov well as provide the opportunity for student and professional exchanges. Lawry forged lifelong friendships in the eight trips he made to Sarov and other parts of Russia. Lawry was vice chair of the Northern New Mexico Regional Economic Development Corporation. His long career in volunteer public service included work with the Energy Communities Alliance; the New Mexico Municipal League; Jemez House; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; United Way; and many other charities. He was preceded in death by his parents Oren E. Mann and Barbara Webb Mann. Lawry is survived by his wife of 61 years, Alice Robles Mann; his daughters Jacoi (Mrs. Zeke) Woolley of La Jolla, Calif., and Jocelyn (Mrs. Larry) Denyer of Wassennaar, the Netherlands; his sons Arthur Mann and Nathan Mann both of Albuquerque; his brother Jerry Mann and his wife Joyce of Thorp, Wash.; eight grandchildren (Halee, Andrew, Lawry, Alexander, Maren, Marcus, Mattea, Reilly); many nieces, nephews and cousins. Friends and family are invited to celebrate the memory of Lawry Mann at a service on Saturday, September 9, 2017, 1:00 p.m. at the Los Alamos Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1975 18th Street in Los Alamos. Please visit the online guestbook for Lawry Mann at http://riverafamilyfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service, 2202 Canyon Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544, http://www.lavns.com/donate.