John Edward Lawrence, 81, Kansas City, KS, passed away Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 11 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, KCK. Burial in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 1150 N. 38th St., KCK. Friends may call 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday at St. Patrick's, where the Rosary will be said 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to St. Patrick's Church, 1086 N. 94th, KCK, 66112, or to the Serra Club or Green Club, also in c/o St. Patrick's. John was born in Kansas City, KS, on June 9, 1923, and was a lifelong resident. He graduated from Bishop Ward High School in 1941, and was a Navy veteran of WWII. On January 27, 1947, he and the former Mary Martin were married. John retired after 30 years with Wonder Bread. His second career lasted 15 years with the Board of Education at the KCK Public Library. John was an active member of the Serra Club, the Marian Council of the Knights of Columbus, and the Green Club at St. Patrick's. John was preceded in death by his parents, brother Bill Lawrence, and two sisters, Sister Anna Mary Lawrence, SCL, and Rosemary Breitenstein. He leaves his wife Mary Lawrence, of the home; four sons and their wives, Jack and Mary Lawrence, KCK, Dennis and Joannie Lawrence, KCK, Bob and Pat Lawrence, Katy, TX, and Jim and Margaret Lawrence, KCK; daughter Maryanne Roepke and her husband Craig, Leawood, KS; sisters Margaret Barman (Lawrence), Lawrence, KS, and Helen Stalzer (Don), Flushing, MI; 16 grandchildren, John, Anna Marie, Tina, Melissa, Peter, Mark, Regina, Rebecca, Megan, Steven, Jennifer, Cathy, Cindy, Tara, Blythe, and Tamara; and 10 great-grandchildren, Johnny Dee, Kyle, Kimberly, John, Andrew, Amber, Allesondra, Arrianna, Anastasia, and Coen. He will be deeply missed. (Arr. Joseph A. Butler and Son Funeral Home, 19th and Minnesota Ave., KCK, 913-3717000)
Published by Kansas City Star on Mar. 9, 2005.