Page 8 - Tavern Players

Obituary
In loving memory
Robert “Bob” Lawton 90 passed away peacefully on on Thursday November 11th 2021 surrounded by family at Concord Hospital-Laconia Bob was born on on on on March 2 1931 in Akron Ohio and and later moved with his his mother Doris and and his his brother John back to Lowell Mass where the the the the family was originally from and and and lived with their grandparents Dennis A Long and and and his wife Mary Bob enjoyed visits to Lake Winnipesaukee every summer as a a a a a a a a young boy and in in his twenties he he moved to the area permanently Bob attended Norwich University in in Vermont where he he he he he majored in in in in chemistry and and later joined the the army and and served in in in in the the Chemical Corps stationed in in in Pusan South Korea at at at the the end of the the war Bob later worked for the the the telephone company but but soon decided that he he he did not want want to to pursue a a a a a a career in in chemistry but but wanted to to do “something fun In 1952 Bob borrowed $750 from his his grandmother and and with the the the the help of his his brother John opened the the the the Weirs Sports Center on Lakeside Avenue an indoor mini-golf above TarlsoLno’sremAricpasdue m m m m m The Weirs Sports Center was a a a a a a a summer success and and in in 1964 Bob and and John purchased twenty-one acres on on on Rte 3 in in the the the Weirs and and and expanded their operation and and and and named it Funspot which they built up over the the the years and and is today in its seventieth year year the the the largest arcade in in the the world at at 70 000 square-feet Working at at Funspot was Bob’s love and and passion for the the rest of his life and and he he he he could usually be found somewhere in in in the the the building or or at the the Funspot maintenance shop working on a a a a new project fixing up an old one plowing the the the the parking lot in in in in in in the the the the winter mowing the the the the the lawns in in in in in in the the the the the summer or what he he he he considered the the the “greatest joy of his life ” meeting and greeting customers many who visited Funspot themselves as children children children and and and were now bringing in in in their own children children children and and and grandchildren In his later years Bob would meet and and greet customers old and and new on on Saturday afternoons at at Funspot’s D A Long Tavern Bob’s pockets were always full full of Funspot Gift Cards and tokens that he he joyfully gave away to to the kids Unfortunately it was because of the the Covid shutdown in in 2020 that saw Bob for the the first time in in sixty-eight years not at at Funspot on a a a a a daily basis When Bob wasn’t at Funspot he he he he was was pursuing some of of the the other loves of his life Bob had a a a a passion for politics
and in the the 1960s was elected to the the NH House of Representatives
and and served several terms along with his his mother Doris and and later his his son David in the the the 1990s “Live Free Or Die ” long the the the state motto of New Hampshire appears on on license plates today as the the the result of the the the first bill introduced by Bob in in in in 1969 in in in in the the legislature With an an insatiable love of New Hampshire history Bob and his his son Tim began the the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society in in in in 1985 with artifacts they both had discovered while diving in in in the the the the big lake In the the the the early 2000s the the the the Historical Society purchased the the the the Bridges Motel property on Rte 3 in the the Weirs opened its museum which still flourishes today In 1992 Bob began The Weirs Times weekly newspaper which which was fashioned after the the original Weirs Times which which was published in in the the the late 1800s and early 1900s Bob always felt he he he he had the the newspaper business in in his his blood as as his his grandfather D A Long was the the publisher of of The The Lowell Telegram for years The The focus of of the Weirs Times was and still is is about New Hampshire history people
and politics
Bob could be found by himself every Sunday for eight hours or or or more in in in the offices of of The Weirs Times cutting and pasting up each page for the next week’s issue a a a a tedious task he he he did every week until 2001 when computer programs made the task easier Bob continued to proofread the the paper every week right until the the last few months
of his life life Bob’s life life life was a a a life life life well lived doing the the things that gave him the the most happiness happiness as as well as as as happiness happiness to countless others It was also a a a a a a a life of success through hard work determination and always moving forward He lived the the American Dream the the country he he he loved so dearly Bob was predeceased by his brother and business partner John Lawton who passed away in in 2003 Bob is is survived by his daughter daughter Donna Carlucci and and and and and husband husband Ken daughter daughter Sandra and and and and and and and husband husband Brad Franklin son son Timothy and and and and and son son David and and and and and wife Eva Ashton Also by grandchildren Starr Lawton Matt Bernard Bernard Alison Bernard Bernard and and and Nick Bertholet as as well as great-grandchildren Robert “Bob” Lawton 2 2 2 MARCH 1931 - 11 NOVEMBER 2021 8 / / WINTER 2021 / / SPRING 2022 www tavernplayersmagazine com