John Robert Lawrence died May 8, 2020 at Houston Hospice after a short battle with pneumonia.  He was 78 years old.  He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on April 20, 1942 to proud parents – Frank Marion Lawrence and Doris Camille Dowell Lawrence.

John started elementary school in Texas City, Texas and graduated from Texas City High School in 1961.  He was very athletic and enjoyed competitive sports.  He was a member of the Texas City High School track team specializing in the 200-yard dash.  He set a high school record in the dash and was awarded a scholarship to Victoria Junior College.  He also played football in junior high and high school.  He attended Victoria College for one year and then joined the U.S. navy.  He served four years and one month.

In 1966, he married his high school sweetheart, Elouise Bodine.  They had two children – Dana Lee and Robert Marion.  When his children were young, the family began camping every summer all over the states.  He loved camping with his family and was a member of the Good Sam’s Camping Club (Sand Dollar Sam’s chapter) for about twenty years.    John worked at Champion Paper and then for NASA where he handled the moon rocks.  After that, he worked at Amoco Oil for twenty-eight years.   He joined Faith Lutheran Church in Dickinson, Texas after being an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in La Marque, Texas for many years.

John is preceded in death by his mother and father, Frank and Doris Lawrence; brother and sister-in-law Jack and Janice Lawrence.  He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Elouise Bodine Lawrence; his daughter and son-in-law Dana and Richie Hamilton; his son and daughter-in-law Robert and Carolyn Lawrence; grandchildren Ashley and Josh Curry, Ashton Lawrence, and John Hamilton; and one great-grand child Kaylee Curry; and many nieces and nephews.  His family was his joy.

The family will have a memorial service at Galveston Memorial Park Cemetery at a date to be announced.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Faith Lutheran Church, 800 FM 517 Rd E, Dickinson, TX  77539 or Memorial Lutheran Church, 2021-29^th Street N, Texas City, TX  77590 or a charity of your choice.