Lawrence A. Cole

US Army Lt Colonel

(Ret)

Lawrence A. Cole, 86, died December 6 in Mesa, Ariz. He was born March 2, 1920, the son of Vernon Clark Cole and Hilda Rebecca Johnson, both Mayflower descendants.

Mr Cole is survived by his wife of 63 years, Evelyn Shepard Cole; two brothers-in-law, Charles E. Shepard, Sr, of Sandy Hook and Robert G. Hill, Sr, of Coppell, Texas; two daughters, Ann Halbert of Mesa, Ariz., and Carol Osborne and her husband, Richard L., of Arlington, Va.; two granddaughters, Sharon D. Osborne of New York City and Nancy G. Osborne of San Francisco; one brother, Stephen C. Cole of Bethany; five sisters-in-law, Lorraine S. Hill of Coppell, Texas, Grace M. Cole of Rocky Hill, Kathy Cole of Bethany, Eunice H. Shepard of Chicopee, Mass., and Allene E. Shepard of Fruitland Park, Fla.; and many loving nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by one brother, Chester J. Cole; one sister, Madeline C. Gauthier; three brothers-in-law, Gerard G. Gauthier, Leonard R. Shepard, and William N. Shepard; one sister-in-law, Marilyn L. Shepard; and one son-in-law, Michael P. Halbert.

Mr Cole graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1938, the University of Connecticut in 1942, and from the US Army Command and General Staff College in 1962. He served in World War II Signal Corps, Connecticut National Guard, the US Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery in Korea and Okinawa, University of Arizona ROTC, and Anti-Aircraft Missiles in Germany and Seattle/Tacoma. The USDA Soil and Conservation Service in Connecticut employed Lt Cole from 1947 to 1950. He retired from CONARC in Fort Monroe, Va., in 1967.

A memorial service and interment of ashes will be held in Connecticut the summer of 2007. The family suggests a memorial donation to the charity of one’s choice.

The Newtown Bee       December 29, 2006