Augusta, GA - Frank Lawrence, age 71, passed away at his Augusta home on Monday, November 19, 2012, leaving behind his devoted wife, Marguerite “Sparky” Lawrence, and their three children: Bud Lawrence (Lisa) of Augusta, and Suzanne Chandler (Cary) and Robyn Watson (Jim) of Birmingham, Alabama. He will be greatly missed by his grandchildren: Mary Lawrence Gibson (Mac); Chapple, Scott and Betsy Chandler; Luke and Jack Lawrence; Will and Andrew Watson; and his great-granddaughter, Molly Kate Martin. Preceding him in death were his parents, Tensie and Luke Lawrence, Sr, of Birmingham. Surviving are Mr. Lawrence’s siblings: Lou Lawrence (Kay) of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Johnny Lawrence (Fran) of Tullahoma, Tennessee; Bill Lawrence (Phyllis) of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Linda Worley (Larry) of Huntsville, Alabama; Susan Brewington (Tom) of Huntsville; Diane Lowry (Ken) of Oxford, Mississippi, and Luke Lawrence (Cheryl) of Medeira Island, Florida.
Mr. Lawrence was born in Nashville, Tennessee on December 27, 1940. He graduated from Butler High School in Huntsville, and went on to play football at Middle Tennessee State University, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration.
He began his lifelong career in the car business in 1965 as a salesman for Royal Oldsmobile in Huntsville. His love for cars led to the eventual ownership of his first car dealership, Mr. Toyota, in Birmingham. He was also the owner of Lawrence Pontiac-Cadillac-GMC in Gadsden, Alabama. He purchased Bobby Jones Ford in Augusta in 1991, and remained President of this business, now Bobby Jones Ford-Lincoln, until his death. His dealership has won numerous awards, including the prestigious President’s Award from Ford Motor Company for outstanding customer service.
Due to a love for sports and a desire to bring a team to Augusta, in 1999 Mr. Lawrence started the Augusta Stallions, an Arena 2 Football League team. In 2003 he became co-owner of the Augusta Lynx professional hockey team. He was also a member of the Augusta Golf Association.
Mr. Lawrence joined the Alabama National Guard as a young man and was proud to be a member of the unit that was federalized in 1963 to stand guard at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa to allow the enrollment of the first two African-American students to the university.
Mr. Lawrence was a member Georgia Auto Dealers Association, and was also a past board member. He was a member of the Board of Regents for Augusta State University. He was appointed by former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes to the board of the Georgia Cancer Coalition, a cause dear to his heart as his wife is a two-time survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was a longtime champion of Augusta’s Hale House Foundation, a transitional program for men challenged with substance abuse.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, November 23, at 2:00 p.m. at Platts’ Funeral Home West, in Evans, with Rev. Tim Reeve officiating. Pallbearers include Tom Bailey, Jeff Broadwater, Marshall Brown, Jeff Hadden, Scott Klozinski, E. G. Meybohm, Gene Neal, and Ed Perry. The Augusta Golf Association members will serve as honorary pallbearers. Interment will follow in Westover Memorial Park.
Visitation will be held from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home, prior to the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Hale House Foundation, 402 Walker Street, Augusta, GA 30904.