Eight Bells: Marshall Souder Lawson

Marshall Souder Lawson

Marshall Souder Lawson died November 24, 2023. Born in Richmond, VA, she was the daughter of The Rev. W. Holt Souder and Isabel Coale Souder Correll.

She was a graduate of St. Catherine’s School, Richmond and Colby Junior College in New Hampshire, former wife of John S. Winder of Annisquam, MA, and widow of Ralph Lawson III of North Kingstown, RI and Ft. Pierce, FL.

She was affiliated with many clubs in the various locations she lived, including the Chicago Yacht Club and the New York Yacht Club. She was a member of the Country Club of Virginia, the Biddeford Pool Yacht Club in Maine, The Storm Trysail Club, and the Hamble River Sailing Club, UK; and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, Newport, RI.

A life-long one design racing and blue water sailor, she participated in many offshore races in New England, cruised from Bermuda to Connecticut, sailed in a partial circumnavigation from Bermuda to the Marquesas in 1983, and a number of Chicago to Mackinac Races. She promoted women’s sailing on the national and international level in many regattas, and became Women’s National Champion in Solings at the 1991 Adams Cup in San Francisco, CA.

Working with her late husband “Pete” Lawson over their 30-year marriage, she collaborated with international teams managing sailing events in team and ocean racing regattas in the Solent, Caribbean, Newport, Sardinia, and Tenerife. She was the Secretary of the International Maxi Class Association from 2005 – 2015 managing regattas based at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Sardinia.

During her years at her beautiful home on the water at Pojac Point in Rhode Island, and until her death, she was a member of the Perennial Planters Garden Club, Providence; and also served as Zone II Chairman and Recording Secretary of the Garden Club of America.

She was also Chairman of the Board of the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI.

A life-long golfer, she enjoyed playing at the Country Club of Virginia with her family and friends growing up, at Royal Dornoch and other courses in Scotland, and at her last home in Florida. Also, while living in Florida, Marshall continued a program of planting over 300 welcoming orchids in the trees outside the condominium entrances with her friends and neighbors.

She is survived by sister, Ann Coale Souder of Newport, RI; brother, Basil W.C. Souder of Yarmouth, ME and wife, Jay; stepdaughter, Sara Lawson Viener, and son-in-law, Adam Viener; grandchildren, Addison, Riley and Jolie Viener, all of Reston, VA; nephew, Coale Souder and wife, Lana of Chicago; and step-siblings, Bill, John and Lucy Correll.

A memorial service will be held 11:00 am Wednesday, December 6, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, she would appreciate donations to the daffodil fund in honor of her mother, Isabel Souder Correll, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 12291 River Rd., Richmond, VA 23238.

Source: https://www.providencejournal.com/obituaries/ppvp0640591