Dr. Ann Lawson
OBITUARY
Dr. Ann Wallis Lawson was born in 1946 to the late Clellan Forsythe and Anna Marie Forsythe (now Williams). She passed away on January 6, 2026, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, at the Silverado assisted living community in Hollywood, California.
Ann grew up in Syracuse, New York, and later in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where she met her husband, Gary Lawson, at Ardmore High School. They married in 1967 and remained inseparable until Gary’s death in 2020.
She earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma and later a Master’s Degree in Ceramics from Southern Illinois University. In the early part of her marriage, Ann lived in New Mexico, Illinois, Nebraska, and several European countries. Their son, London, was born in England in 1971, and their daughter, Lindsey, was born in Germany in 1976.
Ann earned a second Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Psychology from United States International University (now Alliant International University) after settling in San Diego. She worked as a marriage and family therapist and served as a professor at USIU until her retirement in 2011. She also authored and edited several textbooks on addiction treatment and family therapy.
Ann is survived by her brother, Fred; her children, London and Lindsey; and her grandchildren, Maui, Apollo, Rocco, and Finley.
For information about her memorial service, please email memorial4ann@gmail.com.