Lawrence Fox Ames

Lawrence Fox Ames, born January 14th, 1928 in Richland, NY, to Earl Ames and Grace (Fox) Ames, died in his sleep the morning of November 16th, 2020 at the NYS Veteran’s Home in Oxford, NY.  He was widowed upon the death of his wife Joan Mary Wright Ames on January 1st, 2019.  They were married in Syracuse, NY on June 17th, 1950.  Lawrence is survived by his three children, Lawrence Craig Ames (born 8/29/53), and his twin daughters Kathryn Ames Bobseine, her husband Ike, and Dr. Alexandra Ames; Jonathan Clark Ames (8/1/55), wife Michelle (Dellapenta) Ames, their daughter Danielle Lauren Ames and son Timmothy Michael Ames, his wife Danielle (Henry) Ames and their son Orion Alexander Ames; and Susan Terese Ames-Light (10/16/58), her husband David Light and their son Jonathan James Light. Dad was a 1945 graduate of Valley Academy, Syracuse, NY. He served honorably in the U.S. Coast Guard from 9/14/45 to 6/24/48 as an Electronics Technician manning a Loran base on a remote Philippine island.  He then attended Syracuse University where he earned a MSEd (1953).  He began his teaching career in 1953 a Social Studies teacher at Indian Lake (NY) Central School, where he fell in love with the Adirondacks.  Seeking greater opportunity for his family, he moved them to Homer, NY in 1960, and then a year later, to Cortland, NY, where he taught high school Social Sciences for the rest of his career.  He continued his education at Syracuse University, including a sabbatical trip to India in the 60s to study their developing economy, and achieved an ABD in his doctoral studies.  He retired 1/1983 and moved with Joan back to Camp in Indian Lake. They wintered at their second home in Port Charlotte, FL. Larry contributed to setting NYS Regents standards, and at Cortland High School established the Youth in Government club and introduced audio-visual technology and the first computers.  He served as Scoutmaster to his sons’ troop and taught NYSDEC Hunter Safety for decades. Lawrence was a devoted husband, father, uncle and grandfather and a good and reliable friend to many.  He was an avid sportsman, Airedale Terrier lover and Adirondack enthusiast.  He loved the camp he hand-built for his family in Indian Lake, where you could find him whenever he wasn’t teaching.  He was known to be a modest, kind, and cheerful man.  He will be dearly missed, except by the trout in the Cedar River, who will be glad to have him gone. He will be buried in his family's plot in Richland Cemetery, Richland, NY

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