Edward Lawson remembered for military service, firefighting and family

The family announced the passing of Edward Ray Lawson. A celebration of life will take place at the Middletown Springs Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Before the celebration, members of the department will give Ed his final ride from his home to the firehouse.

Lawson’s military service, electrical work and volunteer firefighting connected him to communities in New York and Vermont, including Granville, where he transferred with former employer Saint-Gobain before settling in Middletown Springs in 2014. The celebration will honor the work and service that defined his life.

Born Feb. 15, 1964, Lawson joined the United States Navy in 1983. He served as a central navigations computer technician and submarine electronics technician aboard the USS Ulysses S. Grant. He later joined the U.S. Army National Guard as a military police officer in 1990 and deployed to Iraq in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

Lawson met Kathy Eon-Lawson while serving in the Navy, and they married on Nov. 30, 1985. They raised two sons, Shaun and Matt, and shared time with two granddaughters and Shaun’s fiancé, Sam. Lawson coached and officiated his sons’ youth hockey teams and spent holidays baking cookies, helping with Halloween events, assisting Santa and laying wreaths at veterans cemeteries.

Lawson built a career as a master electrician and later fulfilled his goal of owning a business, Lawson Electric. He joined the Middletown Springs Volunteer Fire Department in 2015, earned Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications and became a nationally certified fire instructor. He served as a captain and fire warden while helping with department fundraising, events and parades. He also encouraged junior members during training.

Lawson received an esophageal cancer diagnosis in 2019. The family said he continued working, supporting the fire service and helping others throughout years of treatment. Kathy described him as a “warrior” because he persevered through pain while caring for other people.

The family asks people who want to honor Lawson to make donations to the Middletown Springs Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 1216, Middletown Springs, Vermont 05757, instead of sending flowers. People may stand along the roadside on Sept. 26 as the department brings Lawson to the firehouse for the celebration of life.