Obituary of Guy Joseph Lawber

Guy Joseph Lawber was tough from the day he was born on September 7, 1963 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma WA.  The first born of three boys, he was an adventuresome spirit who worked hard and generously helped others.  He loved growing up on the small family farm in Graham, WA, and learning woodworking and cabinet building from his dad.  He also helped his mom with the gardening, and learned to be a terrific cook.  He hosted many great meals and BBQs for friends and family; and, even in his last days in the hospital, he put together new and tasty combinations from the food tray. 

As a child, Guy had fun pulling pranks on his brothers, friends, and cousins; stopping everything to watch the Red Skelton Show; and, in learning early how to tinker with cars, motorcycles, and anything else that had the potential to catch on fire, explode, or go fast.  This learning came in handy in his later life as a Boeing engineer, where his expertise was especially valuable in solving tough mechanical and aeronautical problems. 

Guy excelled as a student and athlete, and was universally loved by his teachers and coaches.  As a teenager, he was instrumental in running the family cabinet business while also earning athletic scholarships that allowed him to pay for college.  Passionate and loyal to his friends, Guy’s best friend at five, Stan Catchpole, is still his best friend today.  He was quick to help build a deck, spread cement, put up siding, or rebuild engines to help out a friend.  While he helped, he would entertain with some spicy jokes and an encyclopedic knowledge of sports trivia and classic rock music.  Guy will leave behind a number of friends from high school and work who will miss hunting, fishing, moto riding, golfing, and camping with him.  His memory will live on each time a friend goes out to enjoy doing one of those things.

Guy played football and basketball, and ran track at Bethel High School, earning college athletic scholarships in all three at Tacoma Community College and playing football at Western Washington University.  He is best known for a legendary, state record setting catch of the longest halfback pass, which happened in thick fog.  According to him, he ran the play and waited (hoped) for the ball to drop out of the fog.  Guy spent some time in his twenties as a pro motocross rider and, later, as a golf instructor.  From there, he entered his career as an engineer at Boeing.  He was especially proud of his time at Boeing, where he traveled and lived in Japan, Turkey, Sweden, and Russia coordinating complex project completions and collecting a number of stories and experiences. 

What made him most proud, though, is his son RJ.  He loved his son deeply, and would sometimes tear up in talking about his son’s goodness and potential.  His many accomplishments and memory will live on in RJ, and in other surviving family members.  Guy is survived by wife Carrie, mother and stepfather Mary and Harold Weeks, brother Steve Lawber (Chris), brother Todd Lawber (Kristy), stepbrothers Mike and Tim Weeks, ex-wife Kathy, nieces, nephew, and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

Guy Joseph Lawber was tough from the day he was born on September 7, 1963 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma WA.  The first born of three boys, he was an adventuresome spirit who worked hard and generously helped others.  He loved growing up on the small family farm in Graham, WA, and learning woodworking and cabinet building from his dad.  He also helped his mom with the gardening, and learned to be a terrific cook.  He hosted many great meals and BBQs for friends and family; and, even in his last days in the hospital, he put together new and tasty combinations from the food tray. 

As a child, Guy had fun pulling pranks on his brothers, friends, and cousins; stopping everything to watch the Red Skelton Show; and, in learning early how to tinker with cars, motorcycles, and anything else that had the potential to catch on fire, explode, or go fast.  This learning came in handy in his later life as a Boeing engineer, where his expertise was especially valuable in solving tough mechanical and aeronautical problems. 

Guy excelled as a student and athlete, and was universally loved by his teachers and coaches.  As a teenager, he was instrumental in running the family cabinet business while also earning athletic scholarships that allowed him to pay for college.  Passionate and loyal to his friends, Guy’s best friend at five, Stan Catchpole, is still his best friend today.  He was quick to help build a deck, spread cement, put up siding, or rebuild engines to help out a friend.  While he helped, he would entertain with some spicy jokes and an encyclopedic knowledge of sports trivia and classic rock music.  Guy will leave behind a number of friends from high school and work who will miss hunting, fishing, moto riding, golfing, and camping with him.  His memory will live on each time a friend goes out to enjoy doing one of those things.

Guy played football and basketball, and ran track at Bethel High School, earning college athletic scholarships in all three at Tacoma Community College and playing football at Western Washington University.  He is best known for a legendary, state record setting catch of the longest halfback pass, which happened in thick fog.  According to him, he ran the play and waited (hoped) for the ball to drop out of the fog.  Guy spent some time in his twenties as a pro motocross rider and, later, as a golf instructor.  From there, he entered his career as an engineer at Boeing.  He was especially proud of his time at Boeing, where he traveled and lived in Japan, Turkey, Sweden, and Russia coordinating complex project completions and collecting a number of stories and experiences. 

What made him most proud, though, is his son RJ.  He loved his son deeply, and would sometimes tear up in talking about his son’s goodness and potential.  His many accomplishments and memory will live on in RJ, and in other surviving family members.  Guy is survived by wife Carrie, mother and stepfather Mary and Harold Weeks, brother Steve Lawber (Chris), brother Todd Lawber (Kristy), stepbrothers Mike and Tim Weeks, ex-wife Kathy, nieces, nephew, and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.