William D. Laswell

William Dennis Laswell of Waltham passed away peacefully at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, on March 9, 2026, at the age of 83.

Predeceased by his sister Mary Joanne Laswell, his father William H. Laswell, his mother Lillian (Mahoney) Laswell, and his son Shawn Laswell, he was the devoted husband of Donna (Thompson) Laswell for 57 years. He was a loving father to his sons Shawn and Glenn, and a proud grandfather to Michael and Michael’s partner, Emily Giroux. He also leaves his nieces Linda Geoffrion and her husband Gary and their children Matthew and Thomas, Cheryl Stunkel and her husband Glenn, his nephew Peter Magliarditi and his wife Kathy and their children Emma and Paul, his sisters-in-law Carol Pottle, whose husband Michael predeceased her, and their children Mark and his wife Sierra, Sharon and her husband David Clement and their children Adam and Callie, and Diane DeRoche and her husband Ronald and their children Ryan and Kerri and her husband Matthew Giles and their children Avery and AJ.

Known affectionately as Willy, Bill, or Billy, he embodied the roles of loving father and grandfather, faithful friend, adoring husband, appreciative family member, community-minded citizen, and proud veteran. After retiring from the Waltham Post Office and the Office of the Weston Public Schools, he volunteered tirelessly as a Eucharistic Minister and funeral assistant at St. Mary’s Church, as a compassionate friend to patients at Marist Hill Nursing Home, and as Commander of Chapter #45 of the Disabled American Veterans. He lived by the belief that kindness should always be shared, that forgiveness is our greatest strength, and that one should step up and do the right thing whenever it is needed. His generosity of spirit, quick humor, and steadfast loyalty endeared him to many, and those around him knew that laughter and a good time would always follow where he was present.

His family is deeply grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital for the compassionate care they provided him in his final months.