George’s Obituary George Marion Lawrence of Lexington, North Carolina, died at home on May 27 after a long illness. He was 80 years of age. In 1970, after a stint in the U.S. Air Force and several unsatisfying jobs, Mr. Lawrence decided to take up what had become something of a family tradition. He followed his brothers Howard Linwood – who, at the time of his death in 1966 was assistant state editor of the Houston Chronicle – and Cecil Norman, who became one of the most memorable, if not exactly diligent, copyboys ever to have worked at The Shreveport (Louisiana) Times, into journalism, first as a student at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, then in 1973 as a copyboy and later that decade state editor at the Shreveport Times. His tenure at The Times was a significant one. He was part of an investigative team that uncovered rampant corruption in Shreveport city government. The team’s work provoked a violent backlash, with numerous threats to personnel, property and even families. A source, Jim Leslie, was murdered in Baton Rouge in the course of their reporting. But they persevered and, as a result of The Times’ reporting, the people of the city changed their form of government to encourage more honest and responsive municipal leadership. Mr. Lawrence’s talent was recognized by the newspaper’s owner – Gannett – and he and his wife Kathleen Marie (Yee) Lawrence moved permanently to Virginia in 1986 where he worked at Gannett’s headquarters in Arlington for USA Today and, ultimately, Gannett News Service, from which he retired in 2000. Mr. Lawrence was the first of four children born to George William Fulton Lawrence and Frances Marie (Robinson) Lawrence. He arrived in 1938 in Haynesville, Louisiana, and was followed by brothers Howard and Cecil and sister Judy Diane. All but his sister have predeceased him. His family moved repeatedly between towns in Louisiana and Arkansas before settling permanently in Shreveport, where he graduated from Fair Park High School. He had a brief flirtation with Centenary College before joining the Air Force, and met his future bride – another Air Force veteran – at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts where both where stationed. He and Kathleen were married in 1960 and their son, David Meade Lawrence, touched down at the base hospital in 1961. The family relocated to Shreveport after Mr. Lawrence’s honorable discharge in 1962. The family tradition – vocation – of journalism as taken up by Mr. Lawrence and his brothers proved infectious, as his son was drawn into the profession and is an award-winning photojournalist and author. His wife is a published novelist. Mr. Lawrence quickly and justifiably fell in love with his daughter-in-law, Alison Mary Sinclair. He loved history, an interest passed down to his son and his grandson, Malcolm Owain Lawrence, and gardening, a passion that has infected his granddaughter, Mei Seul Lawrence. In addition, he is survived by an aunt, Barbara (Permenter) Robinson, a number of cousins and an assortment of furry and feathered family members. A memorial will be held at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5, at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 619 South Main Street, Lexington, North Carolina, 27292. A luncheon will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Committee to Protect Journalists (cpj.org) or the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (www.rcfp.org). Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of George Marion Lawrence August 18 1938 May 27 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Lexington, state: North Carolina