Rochie Lawes

Norma Rochie Whittington Lawes, PhD, age 88, of Greenwood, MS, died on May 3, 2023, at St Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson.

Dr. Lawes was born in Centreville, MS, and raised in Waxhaw, MS. She graduated from Gunnison High School in 1951 at the age of 16. She graduated from Mississippi State College for Women with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955, from Delta State University with a Master of Arts in 1978, and in 1984, at age 49, she graduated from The University of Mississippi with a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Rochie dedicated her life to teaching. While still a student, she taught patients at the TB sanitarium. After college, she taught programming for IBM for several years. Later in life she taught English in Cleveland Public Schools and also served as an adjunct instructor in the English department at Mississippi Delta Community College. Following her retirement, Dr. Lawes taught mathematics as an adjunct instructor for Mississippi Delta Community College.

 She is survived by her son Philip Lawes and his wife Kimberly Lawes of Greenwood, daughter Carole Lawes Sawada and her husband George Sawada of Birmingham, AL, daughter Sally Lawes of San Diego, CA, grandchild Jackson Garrett of Birmingham, AL, grandchild Jacob Lawes of Greenwood, MS, sister Betty Whittington Mullens of Nashville, TN, and sister Nona Whittington Tindall of Atlanta, GA. 

 Services will be held 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 6, 2023, at The Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood.  Fr. Don Chancellor will officiate interment to follow in  Shelby Cemetery, Shelby MS. Visitation is Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM at Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Lawes, Jackson Garrett, George Sawada, Seth Wheatley, Lee Tindall, Whit Tindall and Bobby VanDevender.

Memorials may be made to the Shelby Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 539, Shelby, MS, 38774  , The Episcopal Church of The Nativity 400 Howard St., Greenwood, MS  38930or the Charity of donor’s choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rochie Lawes, please visit our floral store.