Charles Lawrence

The smartest man in the world has passed.

Charles David Lawrence was born in Ottawa, Kansas on a warm summer day: June 3, 1950. He died on a beautiful fall day: October 16, 2020. The birth and death of this great man; however, is not nearly as relevant as all the days and nights that he lived to the fullest between the two dates.

Charles Ernest Lawrence and Gene Ann Matthews Lawrence had four children, but they knew that David was a handful, because of all the shenanigans he would get himself into. David was not only intelligent, he was socially gifted as well. The family moved to Muskogee, Oklahoma, where David truly became an Okie from Muskogee. He attended Muskogee High School, where he showed off his natural athletic ability playing basketball. He graduated in 1968. He attended Bacone College in Muskogee for a short time. David then decided he needed to join the Navy. He served in Vietnam as a member of the Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron One/VQ1. After his distinguished service in the Navy, he met Janet, and they were joined at the hip from that time on. They raised six children on an extremely tight budget. The family started out living in a rough neighborhood in a trailer park, but promised they wouldn’t stay there very long. They were right. David found a place for us in Moore, Oklahoma. David worked any and all jobs to support his family. The children may not have gotten what they wanted, but they got what they needed. In 1982, he was hired at Crowe and Dunlevy Law firm as a courier, he was quickly promoted to Facility Supervisor. He left the firm in 1996.

His next adventure was buying AgapeLand Learning Center, because that is what Jan wanted. He always found a way to give Jan what she wanted, due to the love he had for her.

David was active in church, where he became the children’s Pastor at Metrochuch. Later, he became Associate Pastor/Praise and Worship Leader at Northwest Praise Center.

In 2004, he joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars, where he loved to work for the veterans. He held several offices, but the one he was most proud of was Adjutant/Quartermaster for the State of Oklahoma. He served in that capacity from 2007 to 2012. In 2017, he was selected as Mr. VFW 2017, which is a high honor.

In 2013, David started dealing with Agent Orange symptoms. Later, he was diagnosed with Early Onset Dementia.

David’s father has passed, but his mother still lives in Tahlequah. David’s oldest brother, Larry, has also passed. Still with the family is his sister, Lonna, with husband Larry Kennedy, and Matt Lawrence, with wife Janet.

Left behind to carry on David’s legacy is his wife of 40 years: Jan. Their children: Jeni Ryan, Trey Golightly and wife Erika, Deanne and husband Matt Porter, Memory and husband Major Jason Taylor, and Charles David Lawrence II. David was the proud Peepaw of 17 grandchildren. His oldest daughter, Jeanie Lawrence, is already an angel, greeting her daddy in Heaven.

Click the link below to watch the live stream of service

https://www.oneroomstreaming.com/view/authorise.php?k=160315154481831

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