Obituary of Fr. Joseph Raymond Lawless MSF

Joseph R. Lawless, a retired priest of the Roman Catholic Church and a proud World War II veteran who helped liberate tens of thousands of prisoners from a notorious concentration camp, died on Saturday. He was 88. Fr. Lawless was born to Joseph and Alice Lawless on May 2, 1926 in East Orange, New Jersey, and was the oldest of four siblings. He graduated St.Basil Preparatory School in Stamford, Conn., before enlisting in the U.S. Army at 18 years old in 1944. He served during World War II with the 42nd Infantry "Rainbow" Division, which was credited with capturing a handful of German cities before entering Dachau – the longest-running concentration camp controlled by the Nazis. More than 30, 000 prisoners were found in the camp. Fr. Lawless returned home and attended the University of Georgia to study a longtime passion: writing. He eventually turned to religious studies in 1965 at the Blessed Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass. He was ordained under the Holy Family Order in Dayton, Oh., on June 17, 1971. Fr. Lawless' vocation in life was to help and care for others, particularly those in the minority communities. He became a fixture in churches from Los Angeles, Calif., to Granite City, Ill., before finding his home at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Tex. – where he served for more than 30 years. In addition to his parents, Fr. Lawless is predeceased by his brother, Neil Lawless. He is survived by his sister, Judith Lawless Wade of Norwalk, Conn.; his brother, Jay Lawless, of Fairbanks, Alaska; his nieces, Pamela Wade Kemp of Richmond, Va., Margaret Wade, of Naugatuck, Conn., and Suzanne Lawless of Fairbanks, Alaska; his nephews, Lee Lawless and Jay Lawless, both of Seattle, Wash.; and several great nieces and nephews. A wake will be held at Shippan's Thomas M. Gallagher Funeral Home at 453 Shippan Ave. in Stamford ( 203) 359-9999 on Friday October 24, 2014 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The funeral will be held Saturday, October 25, 2014 at St. Maurice Church 358 Glenbrook Rd in Stamford at 10 a.m. Internment will immediately follow at St. John's Cemetery in Darien. To send condolences to the family, please visit www.gallagherfuneralhome.com Read Fr. Joseph Lawless MSF's Obituary and Guestbook on gallagherfuneralhome.com.