Deceased January 16, 2006
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In Memory
A Massachusetts lawyer and U.S. Navy veteran, Joe Laurion died of Parkinson’s disease on Jan. 16, 2006, at the age of 55. He is survived by his wife, Charlene.
I did not know Joe well in college, although we were both political science majors. I do remember that we had a memorable discussion about our futures on a sunny day in the spring of 1975. At the time, he was headed off to Rutgers School of Law, and we both had ambitious dreams of maybe pursuing political careers somewhere down the line. Later, I received a letter from Joe from Rutgers, where he was excited about his studies. That was the last communication I had from him.
My experience was similar to that of Joe’s senior year roommate, Takuo Akiyama ’75. They resided in South College, third floor. Takuo recalls that Joe worked his way through college by holding a part-time campus job and was very proud of his four years in the navy before coming to Amherst. Joe served from 1967-71 as a photography mate. Takuo, a Japanese exchange student, was very appreciative of Joe’s kindness and patience in teaching him the nuances of American student life. Like me, however, Takuo did not stay in close contact with Joe. They had a brief telephone conversation when Takuo was in New York on a business trip in the late 1980s. Takuo called Joe at his law firm in the Boston area, where Joe was very busy with his practice. The last words Takuo remembers from Joe were, “Take good care of yourself.”
According to the 1993 Biographical Record of Amherst College, Joe was the son of Frederic A. and Rhoda E. Laurion. He was born on Jan. 27, 1950, in Stafford Springs, Conn., and attended Billerica Memorial High School. He graduated from Rutgers School of Law in 1978, was a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and worked for a number of a Massachusetts law firms. He married Charlene in 1980.
Everett "Skip" Jenkins '75