Gail Lawson

Mary “Gail” (Weatherford) Lawson was born November 27, 1941, in Randolph County, Arkansas, to Opal Wynona (Luter) Weatherford and Frank Carter Weatherford. She departed this life February 9, 2023, in her home after a long battle with heart failure.

As the daughter of a Methodist minister, she and her three brothers grew up moving frequently to different parts of Arkansas. She graduated from Ola High School in Ola, Arkansas, on May 18, 1958, at the age of 16. She loved ‘50s music and could jitter bug with the best of them, competing in the Arkansas State Jitter Bug Championship as a teenager.

In 1961 she married Lee Roy Fields and to this union three children were born, Craig Fields, Sheri Fields (Jeff) Stofer, and Brian Fields. Several years later, she returned to Arkansas Polytechnic School and graduated with a BA in Biology in 1967. She taught science for grades 7-12 in Pottsville, Arkansas, for one year before moving to Summersville, Missouri, then Cabool, Missouri, with her three children, raising them on her own, working and going to school to complete her teaching degree. This began a long career of teaching junior high and high school science, which was her passion for many years.

In 1977 she married Huey Lawson, and gained three adult step-children, Kirk Lawson, Jan Lawson, and Gary Keith Lawson. Huey and Gail moved to Mountain Grove, Missouri, and added to their blended family when their daughter Amanda Gail (Clay) Thompson was born. She then began teaching at her beloved Norwood High School and she remained there nearly 30 years until her final retirement. She was a true Norwood Pirate, and fully enjoyed serving as the Academic Team coach for many years. Continuous learning was very important to her; her love for reading, crossword puzzles, and Jeopardy! trivia continued until her death.

She was a member of the Wright County Retired Teachers Association and was honored to be the Retired Teacher of the Year for 2016.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Wendell Weatherford and Roy Weatherford, her husband, and one son, Craig Fields. She was blessed with several grandchildren, step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and step-great-grandchildren.

Per her request, in lieu of a service or flowers, as part of her academic legacy, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be sent directly to Norwood High School in her name in support of the 2023 Gail Lawson Academic Scholarship, offered to a graduating senior that is seeking a degree in the science field.

The family is grateful to her Intrepid Hospice Care Team, all of her friends, relatives, and caregivers for their care and support. A special thank you to Kim Braley, who took exceptional care of “Ms. Gail”.