Louise Lawson

Louise Olive (Cole) Lawson, 90, of Hopkinton passed away April 19, 2025. Born in Philadelphia, she was a daughter of the late Edith May (Thomas) Cole and George Henry Cole. She was the wife of the late Arthur Stanley Lawson. Louise enjoyed life to the fullest and made great use of her talents. As a young woman, she loved dancing and became an accomplished ballroom dancer. Legend has it she went on a date with the actor Tom Selleck before he became famous. At age 29, she married World War II veteran Arthur Stanley Lawson, a dye factory worker.

Louise received high praise from her supervisors at a helicopter components manufacturer for the quality of her precise and detailed work constructing complex engine parts. It was clear that Louise was a skilled and expert crafter, a talent she enjoyed also in her personal life, making ceramics, embroidering and crocheting. For her dearest friends, she crocheted elaborate afghans. Two weeks prior to her passing, she was excited to start on another afghan for a close friend. She also lovingly knitted dozens and dozens of warm hats for the long winter months, donating them to Project Just Because and Milford Daily Bread food pantry for distribution to community members experiencing financial challenges in Milford, Hopkinton and beyond. Louise was proud of her Native American heritage, which remained unconfirmed family lore until a DNA test recently confirmed it. She enjoyed lively conversation and staying engaged in her community. For many years, she participated in the Brampton Circle Tenants Association, and she was active in the Hopkinton Senior Center until mobility challenges prevented her from doing so. In her later years, although homebound, she kept herself busy reading, crafting and enjoying computer games.

Louise was joyful and steadfast in her faith. She loved attending the Woodville Baptist Church (now The Sanctuary at Woodville) and the First Congregational Church (now Faith Community Church). When she was no longer able to attend church, she remained an avid reader of the Bible and loved exploring and talking about the interpretations of the Word in her various Bible study guides. Her persistence and her faith went hand in hand; she remained a Child of God until the end and, although imperfect, always tried to do the right thing. May the Lord accept her into His Kingdom.

Louise is survived by her sister, Peggy (Cole) Grant, Peggy’s husband, Harold, and their children, Christopher and Linda; by her brother-in-law Ronald Gaudette, husband of her late sister, Marilyn (Cole) Gaudette, and their children, Jamie Glidden, Linda Wooster and Julie Wing. She also is survived by many grand-nieces, grand-nephews, great-grand-nieces and great-grand-nephews. In addition to her sister, Marilyn, Louise was predeceased by her brother, Ralph Cole.

Visitation will take place on Friday, May 2, from 9-11 a.m. at Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton. A funeral home service will be held at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery in Marlborough. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Circle of Hope, which provides infants, children and adults experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity with clothing and hygiene essentials.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.