San Diego, CA
Phyllis O. Lawrence
Phyllis O. Lawrence
OBITUARY
Phyllis O. Lawrence lived her life to the very fullest as a loving daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, wife, and dedicated Registered Nurse. She was born in Los Angeles, California on October 21, 1930, and passed peacefully surrounded by family on September 17, 2024, at the age of 93.
After graduating Marlborough School for Girls in 1948, she attended Occidental College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education in 1952. She then proceeded to Yale University where she earned a Master’s degree in Nursing in 1957. Phyllis’s nursing career spanned 20 years, working as a private duty nurse on a thoracic surgeon’s special nursing team in Carmel, California early in her career, then as a school nurse in Alexandria, Virginia, on staff at two San Diego, California hospitals, and eventually helping the elderly at Ocean View Convalescent Hospital in Encinitas, California. Phyllis followed her nursing career by teaching nursing at Maric College of Nursing in Vista, California, where she was the vocational nurse program instructor until her retirement in 2004. While teaching nursing, Phyllis was also instrumental in helping Greg with his tax business, Lawrence Tax Service.
Growing up, Phyllis and her family spent summers at their beach house in Newport Beach, California and it was there that she met Gregory E. Lawrence, Jr., who was in her brother’s Lew’s class at Occidental College. Seven short years, on August 27, 1954, Phyllis and Greg were married and remained married until Greg’s passing in January of 2009. During their long marriage, Phyllis and Greg lived in numerous homes including Bangkok Thailand, and Okinawa, Japan. In 1962 Phyllis and Greg purchased their home in Solana Beach, California which they would eventually return to in 1971.
Phyllis was perpetually active and in her spare time enjoyed sewing, cooking, and vegetable gardening. Settling back into their home in Solana Beach and following Greg’s retirement from the Navy in 1973, Phyllis and Greg were active members of the community, joining a gourmet food group and regularly hosting bridge card games. For many years Phyllis was a member of P.E.O. and also volunteered as a docent at San Dieguito Heritage Museum after her retirement. Despite her busy schedule, Phyllis always had time for her family and family dinners were a staple. She was the epitome of a Navy wife, always supportive of her husband and children, and selfless to a fault.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her loving husband Gregory E. Lawrence, Jr., her brothers E. Llewellyn Overholt, Jr. and David Gates Overholt, and her parents E. Llewellyn Overholt, Sr., and Rosalind Martha Gates Overholt.
Phyllis is survived by her children Greg III and wife Carolyn of Jamul, Miles and wife Kim of Carlsbad, and Martha (“Matti”) McCleery of Denver, Colorado; her grandchildren Amanda and husband Scott McGimpsey of Fort Collins, Colorado, Gregory E. Lawrence, IV of Solana Beach, great-grandson Finn McGimpsey, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. What an amazing example she was of duty, generosity, and loyalty towards family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, we encourage you to make a donation in memory of Phyllis Lawrence to P.E.O., please click this link: https://www.peocalifornia.org/. A private memorial service will be held at Fort Rosecrans at a later date.
Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.
After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.
“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”
Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.
“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.
The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.
In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.
Stewart said the effort is making an impact.
“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.
The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.
Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A man suspected of a fatal shooting in Barrio Logan was arrested Tuesday.
Benito Garcia Jr., 31, was arrested in the 3600 block of Grand Avenue in San Marcos at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly gunning down 64-year-old Raul Torres near the east end of the Coronado Bridge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Patrol officers responding to an anonymous report of a shooting found the mortally wounded victim on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of National Avenue, near Chicano Park, shortly after 10 p.m. last Tuesday. Torres died at the scene, SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the slaying.
Garcia was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of first- degree murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
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