Obituary of Justice John F. Lawton

Justice John F. Lawton, 84, a lifelong resident of Syracuse, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2014 at Francis House in Syracuse, NY. He was born on June 25, 1929, a son of the late Joseph J. and Monica Lawton. Justice Lawton was a lifelong parishioner of Most Holy Rosary Church, and graduated from Most Holy Rosary High School. He received a Bachelors of Science degree from Niagara University, then served as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer during the Korean Conflict. He retired from the Army Reserve's 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion with the rank of Captain. Justice Lawton's passion was the law. He graduated with honors from St. John's University School of Law and started his career at the law firm of Mackenzie Hughes, spending 27 years there before being appointed to the New York Supreme Court. In 1986 he was appointed to the Supreme Court's Appellate Division, Fourth Department, and served on the court for 20 years until his retirement. In 1999, he sat by special designation on the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. In 2001, the Onondaga County Bar Association presented Justice Lawton with the Ruger Award "for recognition of singularly outstanding achievement in the devotion to the principles of our system of justice." During his years of private practice, Justice Lawton was active in the New York State and Onondaga County Bar Associations, serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Onondaga County Bar Association. He was also active in grievance matters and served as a continuing education program instructor for both associations. He was a member of the Onondaga County Legislature from 1970 to 1977, serving for two years as Chairman. During his term, he was instrumental in the development of Onondaga Community College and Van Duyn Hospital. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Canal Museum. Justice Lawton most enjoyed spending his leisure time with his family. He particularly enjoyed summers at Fair Haven and visits to Saratoga, and he was a devoted SU basketball fan. Survivors include his loving wife of 58 years, Anne Marie (Perkins) Lawton; daughters, Patricia of Syracuse, Catherine (Thomas) Cosgrove of New York, NY, Margaret (John) Fitzpatrick of Wellesley, MA, Mary Beth (John) Mastrianni of Slingerlands, NY, Carol (James) Gaspo of Syracuse, and Theresa (Michael) Hawley of Naperville, IL; son, John T. (Michele) Lawton of Ossining, NY; sister, Monica Lawton of Syracuse; brother, Joseph J. Lawton, Jr. of Skaneateles; brother-in-law, Robert Perkins of Syracuse; 15 grandchildren, one great grandchild; ten nieces and nephews and fourteen great nieces and nephews. A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Church of Most Holy Rosary on Monday, April 14, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. Calling hours will be Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Edward J. Ryan and Son Funeral, 3180 Bellevue Ave., Syracuse, NY. The family would like to thank the administration, staff and volunteers at Francis House for their tremendous care and compassion. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Francis House, 108 Michaels Ave., Syracuse, NY 13208, or Most Holy Rosary School 111 Roberts Ave., Syracuse, NY 13207.