Ruth Edna Anderson Lawrence, MD – 2025
Ruth Edna Anderson Lawrence, MD, renowned physician and long-time leader in the Rochester community, passed away peacefully on October 12, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert Marshall Lawrence, MD, and devoted son John Charles Lawrence, she is survived and adored by her children, Robert (Rachel) Lawrence MD, Barbara Asselin MD (Dennis Asselin MD), Timothy (Edith) Lawrence MD, Kathleen Lawrence, PhD, David Lawrence, Mary (David) Khalil, Joan Lawrence (Anthony Cotrupe) and Stephen (Sheila) Lawrence; 24 grandchildren, Rob, Patrick, and Michael Asselin; Nathaniel and Eli Lawrence; Addison, Madeleine, and Jackson Morris; David Lee and Ryan Lawrence; Lisa Miller; Hannah, Victoria, and Daniel Khalil; Nellie, Henry, and Lucy Cotrupe; Riley, Carter, and Lily Lawrence; Justin, Thomas, Ashlyn, and Benjamin Richards; and numerous great-grandchildren. Also predeceased by her dear mother and three siblings, she is survived by many nieces and nephews, a brother-in-law, neighbors, and countless friends, families, colleagues, and community members.
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Dr. Lawrence (also known as Ruth, Dr. REAL, Mom or Grammy to those closest to her), was an Emerita Professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1924, she graduated from Antioch College and University of Rochester School of Medicine (1949) and was the first female resident in pediatrics at Yale University, before returning to Rochester with her husband to raise their nine children in Brighton and begin what became a 70-year career at UR’s Department of Pediatrics and OBGYN. As a pediatrician, clinical toxicologist, neonatologist, researcher, educator, and author, her impressive career included numerous firsts and milestones, and she is recognized locally, nationally and internationally in her many fields.
Dr. Lawrence established UR’s Poison Center in 1958, the first in the country to answer calls from the public and under her 50+-year leadership, created Lifeline, incorporating medical emergency and mental health crisis calls, information referral services, and further revolutionizing access to care for at-risk populations. (It was later renamed the Ruth A. Lawrence Poison Center.) She founded UR’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the 1960s, a significant advancement for newborn and pediatric care in the region and among the first in the country, and she its first neonatologist, educating and inspiring future practitioners and physicians in the field. She has been a leading international expert on infant nutrition and breastfeeding medicine and authored the authoritative medical textbook for lactation and clinical breastfeeding practices “Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession” (nine editions since 1979). In 1985 she helped establish the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center at Golisano Children’s Hospital and served as its director for many years.
Her cleverness and wit, matched only by her generosity, Ruth was an exemplar for excellence in medicine, and a role model, mentor, and advocate for physicians, women, mothers and children. She has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades over the years, both for her professional work and her contributions to the community, serving as co-director of the Finger Lakes Children’s Environmental Health Center, and on boards such as that of Jordan Health Center, St. Bernards Seminary, Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, and the Girl Scouts of Monroe County. In 2008, she received the prestigious Athena Award and is the only twice-recipient of the Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award. She retired from URMC in January 2020 at the age of 95 and the UR Lactation Center was renamed in her honor.
Ruth was, more than anything, a caretaker and fierce advocate – for her children, the world’s children, her chosen fields of medicine, her friends, community, and parish – and of any stranger who crossed her path. For all of her many notable achievements and selfless contributions, however, the profound loss is felt most by her family. Yes, she was iconic, genius, and a visionary, but she was also a legendary mother in ways we cannot describe, but were no secret to those around her.
The ongoing impact of Ruth’s legacy remains immeasurable. Her gifts continue to transcend her life. In her own words, when asked about her seemingly limitless energy and passion for various specialties and endeavors, she simply replied,
“I’m not done but I’ll never finish.”
Friends may call Friday, October 17, 2025 (3:00-7:00 pm) at Anthony Funeral Chapel, 2305 Monroe Ave. Funeral mass will be held at 10 am on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at St. Thomas More Church, 2617 East Ave. Rochester, New York.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ruth A. Lawrence Educational Fund at Golisano Children’s Hospital: Dr. Ruth A. Lawrence Educational Fund – Advancement