Bethlehem-based R.K. Laros Foundation, established in 1952 by Laros Industries Silk Mill founder and owner R.K. Laros, announces the memorial service for his son, R.K. Laros Jr., past Trustee, chair, board member and Member Emeritus of the Foundation, who served since 1965.

Dr. Laros passed away Feb. 17 at Hospice in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He was 81 years old and had struggled with dementia for several years.

Service and reception

The memorial service will be held June 24, at 10 a.m. at Rosemont Lutheran Church, 1705 West Broad St. in Bethlehem, with Reverend Steltzer officiating. The public is invited and welcome to attend the Memorial service and the reception immediately following, to be held in Laros Hall.

Early years

Born Jan. 25, 1936, at St. Luke’s hospital, to local industrialist R.K. Laros and his wife Helen Laros, Russell was their youngest child and only son. Dr. Laros grew up in Bethlehem and attended Moravian Prep and Rosemont Lutheran Church.

Dr. Laros went on to attend Choate, and Harvard and Temple universities, and was world renowned as the father of high - risk obstetrics at the University of California San Francisco, where he was a physician and professor, teaching at the UCSF School of Medicine. In addition to bringing thousands of lives into the world, he mentored untold numbers of medical students, residents and fellows at UCSF during his long and illustrious career there.

In 1965, Dr. Laros joined the Laros Board of Trustees in steering the foundation his parents had established in 1952. He was instrumental in guiding hundreds of grants to over 150 nonprofit organizations in Bethlehem, supporting their efforts to serve the community he loved in the arts, education, environment, health and human services and for local Historical preservation.

Recognitions

The community honored R.K. Laros Jr. with several awards in his lifetime, including the city of Bethlehem’s 250th anniversary “Spirit of Bethlehem” Award in 1991, Appreciation Award from the Bethlehem YMCA for “Continuing Efforts & Support To The Youth of This Community” and in 2014 the Lifetime Achievement Award in Philanthropy was presented by the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In association with this award, he was recognized by the Senate of the State of Pennsylvania and the U.S. House of Representatives.

R.K. Laros Jr. was the father of three children, R.K. Laros III, Ann Laros-Weaver and Rebekah Kristin Laros, and five grandchildren. His son, R.K. Laros III, currently leads the foundation and his daughter Ann serves as a trustee.

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