Rachael Fawn Lawry, 33, Was Loved by Her Family

Rachael Fawn Lawry of Vineyard Haven died unexpectedly at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital in Oak Bluffs on April 29. She was 33 years old.

Born and raised on Martha's Vineyard, she was the daughter of Amy and Harold B. Lawry 3rd of West Tisbury.

Rachael attended the Edgartown Elementary School and the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, from which she was graduated with honors in 1989. She graduated one year after her class, however, due to her battle with mental illness.

In the 1980s, when Rachael was just a young girl, she enjoyed working with her family at Lawry's Seafood Market and Restaurant in Edgartown.

In the early 1990s, Rachael helped out in the office at the Martha's Vineyard Boys' and Girls' Club in Edgartown for a time and then went on later to work in the deli section at the Edgartown A&P. When Rachael stopped working, she always enjoyed the friendly "hellos" she received from former co-workers.

The Daybreak Program, a branch of Martha's Vineyard Community Services, provided Rachael with many happy memories, from visiting Nantucket, to trips off-Island to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the New England Aquarium, to exciting whale-watching trips. Every moment was cherished by Rachael and all captured beautifully on film. Her friends there meant a lot to her, as did the invaluable staff.

A loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, cousin, sister in law and aunt, Rachael loved spending time with her nephew, Harold. He was the light of her life. She will truly be missed.

She is survived by her mother and father, Amy Asselin Lawry and Harold B. Lawry 3rd of West Tisbury; her sister, Lindsey Lawry of Chilmark; her brother and sister in law, Harold B. Lawry 4th and Melissa Merry Lawry of West Tisbury; a nephew, Harold B. Lawry 5th, also of West Tisbury; an aunt, Elizabeth Ventura, of Edgartown; an aunt and uncle, Sandra Kenney and Douglas Asselin of Vineyard Haven; and many great-aunts, great-uncles and cousins. She was the granddaughter of Eva and Hector Asselin of Vineyard Haven, Elizabeth Lawry of Edgartown and the late Harold (Turtle) Lawry, Jr., formerly of Edgartown, and the step-granddaughter of Beatrice Lawry, also of Edgartown.

A graveside service was held on May 4 at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Vineyard Haven with the Rev. Roger Spinney officiating.

Donations in Rachael's memory may be made to Daybreak Clubhouse, P.O. Box 369, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.