John C. Lawrence

John Carroll Lawrence was born Sept. 22, 1946 in Frankfort, KY and passed away Feb. 26, 2023 in Williamstown, KY at the age of 76.  He was the son of the late Frank William and Nell Hanks Cinnamon Lawrence.

On May 20, 1967 John was united in marriage with the love of his life, Penny Lowe Austin Lawrence.  In addition to his wife of 55 years he is survived by two sons: John Christopher Sparks Lawrence and his wife, Susan, of Williamstown and William Andrew Dawson Lawrence and his wife, Elizabeth, of Williamstown; a sister: Peggy Norris Lawrence Whalen and her husband, Doug, of Dry Ridge; and two granddaughters: Bridgette Danielle Lawrence and Morgan Elizabeth Lawrence.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Janice Lynn Lawrence Lund.

John was a retired Manager for Kennedy Book Store in Lexington where he specialized in Art and Engineering.  He was a 1964 graduate of Williamstown High School and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Kentucky.  He served our country in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War as a Russian linguist.  He was known to be a master of languages.

In addition to his career at Kennedy Book Store, he was a Realtor, an Auctioneer and an Appraiser.  He started his real estate career with Northern Kentucky Auction Co. and later started and was co-owner of Old Time Auction Co.

John also served his community in many different capacities over the years.  He was a very active and dedicated member of Williamstown Baptist Church where he served as Deacon for many years.  He served as a School Board Member for the Williamstown Independent Schools from 1985-1993, a Councilman for the City of Williamstown in 1994 as well as a member and Chairman of the Grant County Planning and Zoning Commission from which he recently retired.  John was a Charter Member of the W.I.S.E. Trust Fund.  He was inducted into the WHS Wall of Fame in 2012 and was a Distinguished Alumni in 2015.

In his free time he enjoyed hunting and fishing over the years.  He was an avid reader and loved collecting small antiques. John thoroughly loved and enjoyed his retirement years and enjoyed traveling with his wife.  When not traveling he could be found "piddling" around his house and helping people any way he could.

Funeral services will be 2:00 PM, Thursday, March 2, 2023 at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home in Williamstown. Visitation will be 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at the funeral home.  Burial will be in the Williamstown Cemetery.

Memorial contributions are suggested to W.I.S.E. Trust Fund, 300 Helton St., Williamstown, KY  41097, Williamstown Baptist Church Building Fund, 214 N. Main St., Williamstown, KY  41097, and the Christian Appalachian Project, Donation Processing Center, P.O. Box 758621, Topeka, KS  66675-8621.