February 11, 1935 – December 20, 2025
William Deane “Bill” Lawlor, 90, of Clear Lake, Iowa passed away on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at the Hancock County Memorial Hospital.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1001 9th Ave S, Clear Lake, IA 50428, with Reverend Josh Link as Celebrant. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be held at St. Patrick Cemetery, Britt, Iowa.
Bill was born on February 11, 1935, in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, the son of John Deane and Ruth (Mellody) Lawlor. He grew up on Martha’s Vineyard, where he spent his early years before pursuing higher education. Bill earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston and later received his law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He took great pride in working for the United States Treasury as a lawyer in the United States Custom Service.
Somewhere along the way, Bill crossed paths with a United Airlines ticket clerk named Veronica Chizek, and from that moment on, the rest was history. The two were married on September 10, 1968, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Britt.
Bill and Veronica shared a deep love of travel and adventure. Together, they visited Japan and many parts of Europe, including Ireland, the homeland of both of their families. Cruises were a favorite way for them to explore the world, with memorable journeys to places such as Alaska and the Panama Canal. In 1990, they moved from the East Coast to Clear Lake, Iowa, to be closer to Veronica’s sisters and brother. Bill and Veronica shared 57 happy years together until her passing in March of 2025.
In his downtime, Bill enjoyed tinkering with computers, sharing stories about his youth, and reading, especially books by his favorite author, John Dickson. He also appreciated a good martini made with Gordon’s Vodka and spent countless peaceful hours relaxing in his sunroom.
Bill never said a simple “goodbye”, he would say “see you later alligator”. The expected response was “in a while crocodile”. It always made him smile.
Those left to cherish memories of Bill are his nieces, Dianne Logan, Patty Simon both of Massachusetts; and Margaret Mahoney of New York; sister-in-law, Margie Jano; as well as many other extended family members and friends.
Bill is preceded in death by his wife, Veronica; his parents, brother, John Anthony Lawlor; brother-in-laws; Virgil Chizek, Lester Daniels, Leonard Pistek, SR, William Hiscocks, John Stevenson, Steve Jano, sister-in-laws; Rosella Daniels, Kay Pistek, Irene Hiscocks, Rita Stevenson, Dorothy Chizek and Dolores Lawlor.
colonialchapels.com