printable versionGlenda Lawrence, investment operations manager, dies at 52
Glenda Lawrence
Glenda Sue Lawrence, manager of investment operations at the Stanford Management Co., died of colon cancer on March 31 at Washington Hospital in Fremont. She was 52.
As manager of investment operations, Lawrence oversaw a small staff that handled security settlements, cash movements, reconciliations, reporting and the relationship with the management company's custodian bank. Those Lawrence worked with over the past two decades remembered how well she managed the back office of the university's endowment and how she helped others in their career development.
The Stanford Management Co. handles the university's endowment and trust assets, expendable funds and commercial real estate investments. Mark Taborsky, managing director of the absolute return and fixed-income division, recalled Lawrence's valuable support while he served as chief financial officer from 2001 to 2005. "I could always count on her to manage a very data-intensive, time-sensitive and complicated part of our business—managing the back office of the endowment," Taborsky said.
Co-workers throughout the office were so fond of Lawrence that several nominated her this year for an Amy Blue Award. Accounting associate Jayne Patterson said Lawrence's dedication to the company and to the university was unwavering. Lawrence also had a strong sense of integrity, was unpretentious and sought to solve the questions and concerns of others in the office, Patterson said.
"The fact that she is willing to help me transform myself from an administrative assistant toward a position of operations analyst (a transition that would change the course of my now 13-year career with Stanford) is something I will never forget," Patterson wrote in her nomination letter to the Amy Blue Awards committee.
Lawrence, born Glenda Mai in Boston on Sept. 11, 1953, came to Stanford in 1984 as an assistant in the university's investment office. She had attended Irvington High School and Ohlone College, both in Fremont—the city she last called home. Lawrence enjoyed spending time with family and friends, as well as boating, bowling and golf. She also was an avid NASCAR fan.
Colleagues said Lawrence valued her privacy, although they added that she had been dealing with tragedy within her family even as her own health declined. Three weeks before Lawrence died, one of her grandsons, Corey, died of complications from cri du chat syndrome, a genetic disorder. Her husband of 31 years, Edward Lawrence, died in 2001.
At the time of her death, Lawrence had been engaged to Bob Silva, who lives in the East Bay. She also is survived by brothers Rick Mai of San Jose, Kevin Mai of Turlock and Lee Mai of South Dakota; sister Cindy Williams of Fernley, Nev.; daughter Rita of Pleasanton; son Larry and his wife, Danein, of Galt; and three grandchildren. Her father, Glen Mai, lives in Reno, Nev.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Victory Junction Gang Camp—an auto-racing-themed camp for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses—at http://www.victoryjunction.org/. Donations can be made in memory of Glenda Lawrence on behalf of her grandson Corey Lawrence.
A private service for Glenda Lawrence has been planned for the end of the month.