Mark Lawlis

Ronald Markham Lawlis, born September 12, 1956, was a lifelong football fan. From the time he could play in the peewee leagues he was unequaled in his fervor and knowledge of the players, their coaches and of the game. He spent hours watching old games with his brothers, projected from a Super 8 onto their bedroom wall. And more hours gathered around the TV with the entire family on Sunday afternoons, sharing shouts of elation, frustration and glee. Even more hours sitting high up in the stands at Memorial Stadium, watching the 'Horns strut their stuff on the field. But to say this was all he was would be untrue. Mark was a multifaceted man who loved many things: Bruce Lee movies and kung fu, anything starring Clint Eastwood, Jean Claude Van Damme, or John Wayne. Westerns like Gunsmoke, Maverick and The Wild, Wild West were favorites as were crime shows like America's Most Wanted and Alaska State Troopers. He loved shopping at Cabela's and picking out the latest in camo gear. He loved Christmas and was always the first to hand out presents to family and friends. He loved the Beatles and collectibles and his truck and as he grew older, he learned he loved bowling. Even a bum knee couldn't keep him from the lanes and competing for a title in the tournaments he regularly played in. He took pride in himself and his home and he took pride in the life he lived. He made friends wherever he went. He cared deeply for his family and his friends and he tendered a kind heart, especially for his wife. They could not have been better matched and he never missed a chance to share with others what a blessing he knew her to be. Mark passed too soon from this life on April 5, 2014. We will miss him, his love for life, and the joy he brought to those around him.

He is survived by his loving wife, Teresa Verrell, his daughter, Jessica Lawlis, his father Virgil Lawlis, his brothers Raphael Klarfeld, V. Bryan Lawlis, Jr., and Stephen Lawlis, his sister, Diane Lawlis, his many in-laws, nieces and nephew and cousins beyond measure. He was preceded in death by his mother, Marjorie G. Lawlis and his sister, Janet Ann Lawlis.

Services will be held at the Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home in Bastrop on Sat., April 12 at 11 a.m. followed by a graveside service at Fairview Cemetery at 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Arrangements under the direction of Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home, Bastrop, TX.