Jule Gunter Lawson Lanier died on July 18, 2025, at the age of 85, following a brief illness. She was the daughter of the late Alabama Supreme Court Justice Thomas Seay Lawson and Rose Gunter Lawson and the granddaughter of long-serving Montgomery Mayor William Adams Gunter.
Jule attended Sidney Lanier High School, Mary Baldwin College, and the University of Alabama, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1961. Although a native of Montgomery, she spent much of her life in New York City, where she worked as a social worker. Admirably, she returned to school at the age of fifty-one to earn a Master of Social Work from the University of Alabama.
Family, friends, and relationships imbued Jule’s life with joy and meaning. She had a gift in making all feel warm in her presence. She was gregarious, imaginative, and vibrant in her approach to the many friends and family central to her life. She adored her children and grandchildren, recognizing in each of them the unique gifts bestowed by God.
No tribute to Jule should omit the mutual affinity between her and the quirky and flawed amongst us, to whom she always approached with dignity and love.
She was a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, the Junior League, and Kappa Delta Sorority. She loved to read and was an active participant in book clubs wherever she lived. Her love of Greek and Roman mythology led to an erudite and profound understanding of how this ancient subject remains a relevant source of insight and wisdom in the modern world.
Jule was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Thomas Seay Lawson, Jr., and her former husband, Clifford Anderson Lanier, Jr. She is survived by her children, Gunter Lanier Renshaw (Tom) and Clifford Anderson Lanier III (Dorothy) and by three grandchildren, Grace Hudson Lanier, Clifford Anderson Lanier IV, and Alex Belle Lawson Lanier.
The Funeral Service will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Visitation prior to the service will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Burial will follow at nearby Greenwood Cemetery.
The family expresses its deepest gratitude that during Jule’s last year, her niece Rose Lawson was especially attentive and able to help Jule as her earthly demise unfolded. The family also expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the loving care provided by James Lewis, Sharon Lewis, Judy Barnes, Jo Ann Turner, Rachel Webster, and Evelyn Thomas. We note with admiration and wonder the special humanity in these friends and family who brought comfort to Jule throughout her life and especially in her final days.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 113 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104, or the place of worship or charity of your choice.
Posted online on July 21, 2025
Published in The Montgomery Advertiser
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/obituaries/ptus1235091?sfnsn=mo