Ronald Dean Lawrence

When reflecting on the life of Ronald Lawrence, it is clear to see that he lived to love and serve others. He was hardworking and generous with an unending devotion to the family he adored. Ron certainly treasured his roles as a husband and father, but he just may have argued that nothing was better than being Granddad to his beloved grandchildren. He was the sort of person who seemed to know everything and always gave the best advice, but what was even better was the love and acceptance he gave to others without condition. Life will never be the same without Ron here, but he leaves behind a timeless legacy that his loved ones will proudly carry on in his footsteps.

During the first half of the 1940s, the eyes of our nation were focused overseas as WWII raged on. While countless young people were serving overseas, those who remained stateside became familiar with rationing on common goods such as coffee, tea, rubber, and sugar. It was just prior to the wars end in 1945 that Arthur Dean and Frieda Mae (Bailey) Lawrence were eagerly awaiting the birth of their baby as February held Huntington County, Indiana, firmly in its grip in 1945. The big day finally arrived when the baby boy they named Ronald Dean drew his first breath on February 24th.

Raised in the family home in the Monument City area, Ron was a typical young boy of his generation. He was one of three children as he was also raised alongside his sisters, Roma and Rowena. When Ron was a teen, the Lawrence family decided to move their home, relocating the house on Division Road, however, in the moving process the moving company actually dropped their home! After surveying the damage, Rons parents decided that it was beyond repair and built a new home next to where their previous home had been put. Eager to serve at a young age, he helped with chores around the house and enjoyed playing basketball including at Lancaster High School in Huntington County. When he was just 16, Ron got his pilots license at the Huntington airport. He graduated from Lancaster High School in 1963 and went on to college the following fall.

Soon after starting college, life drastically changed when Rons dad came down with Polycystic Kidney Disease. Ron then left college to move back home and start working to help support his family since his dad was unable to work full time. He took a job with the railroad, starting as a brakeman with Erie Lackawanna Railroad. After his fathers death, Ron also worked his fathers business, Lawrence-Way Water Softeners, for the next few years. He maintained his career in the railroad business, working for Conrail in Toledo, Ohio, and retired as a conductor from CSX Transportation in Garrett in 2007.

While he was busy establishing his career, new and exciting changes were in store for Ron when he met the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Connie C. Spurlock, and they met at Halls Drive-In located in Ft. Wayne one beautiful spring day. They spent some time talking, and Ron invited her to join him for the Indianapolis 500 over Memorial Day weekend. On the way home he let Connie drive his prized 68 Corvette, and from that moment she was sold. With a desire to establish a life together, Ron and Connie were married on May 22, 1971, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Ft. Wayne. Together they welcomed two children, Ryan and Heather, into their hearts and home. Ron was actively involved with his children and was particularly thrilled to take Ryan and some of the other Boy Scout troops to the Philmont Scout Ranch. He loved sharing his spirit of adventure with them as he often took them waterskiing, and on spring breaks they went to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to go skiing with the neighborhood families August and Rhodes.

Family was always forever first and foremost in Rons life. The family was given a tough pill to swallow when Ryan was involved in a car accident in 1997, which left him with traumatic brain injuries. Deeply loving, Ron and Connie kept him at home and gave him the care he needed. Ron was always there to care of his family in every way. He loved helping his children and was over the moon in love with his two grandchildren, Joseph Jr. and Addalynn. Ron spent many nights a week skyping with his daughter, her husband, and their son and daughter as they lived in North Carolina. He especially loved it when his grandson called him Granddad. He had a general overall knowledge about so many things, and he was known as the go-to guy if someone had a question or if they just wanted to talk about cars for hours on end.

Always one to be busy, Ron was a man of many interests. He was a car lover who recently restored his 1968 Corvette. Later in life, Ron started riding motorcycles. In 2003, he traded in his Harley-Davidson to get a 100th anniversary Harley. While he loved going to car shows, Ron was able to combine these two interests by riding to Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a group of people to tour the Corvette factory. He also enjoyed both waterskiing and snow skiing, and he was a member of The Chapel and the Railroad Union.

All who knew Ronald Lawrence would agree that he was an extraordinary man to know and love. He was never one to worry about the little things, rather, he faced whatever came his way with unwavering strength and courage. A loving family man, Ron treasured nothing more than being with his wife, children, and his two grandchildren. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Ronald Dean Lawrence, of Fort Wayne, IN, passed away on Tuesday evening, February 2, 2016, at Lutheran Hospital. Rons family includes his wife of 44 years, Connie Lawrence; mother, Frieda Mae Ulm of Huntington; son, Ryan Dean Lawrence of Ft. Wayne; daughter, Heather (Joseph) Spainhour of Holly Springs, NC; sisters, Roma (Gary) White of Markle and Rowena (Tim) Richardson of Huntington; and two grandchildren, Joseph E. Jr. and Addalynn Kay Spainhour.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday, February 8, 2016, with calling one hour prior, at The Chapel, 2505 W Hamilton Rd S, Fort Wayne with Pastor Rick Hawks officiating. Visitation will be 2-5 p.m. Sunday, at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive. Ron will be buried next to his father at Mt. Etna Cemetery south of Huntington. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his honor to The Chapel, Traumatic Brain Injury Association of Indiana or to the National Kidney Foundation. To send Rons family condolences online, visit www.demoneygrimes.com .