Obituary of Joseph B. Laws

Joseph B. Laws

Rochester, NY. Friday, May 13, 2022, at age 99. Predeceased by his loving wife of 72 years in 2021, Elizabeth (Trenchard) Laws; brothers, Raymond, William, Richard and Jack Laws; sister, Elizabeth Fingar; brother-in-law, Byron Trenchard; son-in-law, Robert York. Survived by his daughters, Gwendolyn (Paul) Mancuso, Candace Laws-York and Karen (David) Mandarano; granddaughters, Emily Mancuso, Alicia (Mike) Fout, Fiana (Adam) Kumm, Cristabel York, Alexandra Mandarano and Juliana Mandarano; great-granddaughter, Emma Fout; brother, James (Patricia) Laws and many special relatives, neighbors and friends.

Joseph better known as Joe or Bernie grew up on a farm on Keuka Lake and loved visiting that area often for fishing, canoeing, picnics, hikes, and a nice drive around the lake. 

Joe served in the U.S. Army during World War II in the 299th Combat Engineers Battalion, Company “C” from 1943 through the end of 1945 in the European Theater.  His company was the first to land on Omaha Beach on D-day and they lost 33 men that day, a number Joe and his comrades would never forget.  He served in all five European campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge.  The friendship of his surviving army comrades was a source of great joy in his life over the years and they continued to maintain their friendships through the years.  He lost his brother Bill, a paratrooper in the 82^nd Airborne Division 505^th Regiment, from injuries sustained on D-day, a huge loss to him.

After the war, Joe went on to college and graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College with a degree in accounting.  He initially taught business classes and later went on to work at Olin Chemicals as an Accountant.  He went back to school to learn Computer Programming.  He volunteered for many years at Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport, after he retired.

Joe was a sweet and kind husband, father, and grandfather.  He was very thoughtful and kept his advice to a minimum but imparted his words of wisdom when he thought it would be helpful.  He loved animals, especially his dogs.  He loved woodworking projects, fishing, golfing, cars, reading, canoeing, biking, hiking, and learning new things.  

The family would like to extend special thanks to neighbors Dennis and Jeanette Ryder and the caring staff at Spencerport/Gates Volunteer Ambulance, the Spencerport Volunteer Firemen, Ogden, and Monroe County police officers, Unity Hospital, McCormick TCC, and Rochester Regional Health Hospice for their care of him.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Spencerport American Legion: Ferris Goodridge Post 691 Trimmer Rd., Spencerport, NY 14559 or Honor Flight Rochester, Inc., P.O. Box 23581, Rochester, NY 14692.   

Memorial Service:  May 21, 2022 at 11:00 am at the Spencerport United Methodist Church, 30 Amity St., Spencerport, NY with a luncheon following at the Spencerport American Legion, 691 Trimmer Rd., Spencerport, NY 14559