Charles Richard “Ricky” Lawrence, 56, went to be with the Lord after a short battle with cancer on Sunday, September 11, 2011, his 29th wedding anniversary, surrounded by his family. Born April 19, 1955 in Portsmouth, he was the son of Bill Lawrence and the late Peggy Lawrence. A talented musician, he started singing with his two sisters at the age of 8. By the time he was 13, he was playing the piano and singing with the Gospel group, “The Galileans.” He enjoyed driving school buses for Portsmouth Christian School.
A proud grandfather, Ricky looked forward to teaching his grandson, Cameron, how to play the piano. He had an infectious love for life and his family and loved sitting in his front yard with them and his friends, and shopping for deals at the thrift store. Rick also loved Thursday morning breakfasts at Cracker Barrel with his father and children. He was a member of Temple Baptist Church, where he faithfully played the piano for over ten years.
Besides his father Bill and his wife, Jane, Ricky is survived by his loving wife, Kimberly Lawrence; two daughters, Kirstyn R. West & her husband, Casey, and Heather N. “Buddi” Lawrence; two sons, Jesse W. Lawrence and Jason A. Lawrence; a grandson, Cameron R. West, all of Chesapeake; two sisters, Lea Ann Lozaw & her husband, Les of Newport News, and Peggy Lyn Sermons & her husband, Stan of Chesapeake; three brothers, Ralph “Billy” Lawrence and his wife, Nancy of Elizabeth City, NC, Robert “Rob” Lawrence and his wife, Linda of Lanexa, VA and Michael Lawrence and his wife, Doreen, of Newport News; several nieces and nephews; extended family members, Kasarah Bennett, Jon Drouin; and his “Galilean Family,” Ken Channell, Randy Radford, and Gary Hackworth.
The family will receive friends on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Temple Baptist Church, 1322 George Washington Highway, N, Chesapeake. A funeral service will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Deep Creek Baptist Church, 250 Mill Creek Parkway, Chesapeake. Interment will follow at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens, Suffolk. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to The Gideons International, www.gideons.org.
The family would like to especially thank Connie and Wendy from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Mary from Sentara Hospice for their tender care during Ricky’s illness.
Condolences may be shared via the online guestbook.
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Ricky could always make me laugh at the absurdities of this world, and laugh hard. He was genuine good guy. This world needs more Ricky’s but Heaven is now even better.
May our Loving Father care for you, embrace you, and protect your family from all harm, until you gather again in Heaven.
Ricky was truly one of a kind. He always had an encouraging spirit, and his friendship helped me get through many tough days. He could take a joke as well as give one, and was the definition of a true friend. Take care, buddy.
Ricky, was a friend to The Dominion Trio. Hate to hear for the family but Happy for my friend ! He has received the ultimate healing.
To the Lawrence Family – We have so many wonderful memories! We will keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time! Such a wonderful family…we love you all!
Kim and children—I just want y’all to know how much we love you and are praying for your strength and the mercy of God to overshadow you as you grieve the loss of an amazing husband and father! My husband, myself and all of my sweet children adored Ricky and will miss him terribly! I am so grateful the Lord gave us several visits in those last few weeks to be with y’all and just enjoy fellowship prior to his joining our Savior in Heaven. We all will miss his sweet spirit, funny ways and how much he has loved us through some of the most difficult times of our lives! The children will especially never forget the OREOS! We are here for y’all and will continue to pray that God will cover you in the shadow of his almighty wings!
Dear Kim and family, Ricky is going to be missed so much. He was such a great Christian and caring father and husband. We are so thankful to have known Ricky all these years thru church and the gospel singing association. He truly loved you all.
My dear beloved brother,words cannot tell you how much I will miss you but I know you are with God and his angels. Tell mom I said hello too. I love you.
Fond memories are flooding back right now of sitting with him at the table at Sarah’s reception. I loved seeing him and Kirstyn interact with each other………I could tell what a special bond was there. So very sorry for this earthly loss, and I will pray for peace and comfort.
Dearest Kim & Family,
We understand your pain and feeling of loss but at the same time know that our brother is ever present with Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior.
We’re praying for you now and will be praying in the days ahead. Much Love!
You all are in our thoughts and prayers. We love you all!
Ricky was an awesome friend to me. Working with him was a blessing, he always had a way of making the days easy and Ialways looked forward to seeing him! Thanks Ricky for always putting a smile on my face! I love you!
I know we will always remember you Ricky, and what an inspiration you were to us and everyone else, We will surely miss you but know you are singing in the heavenly choir, all our love always~
So many memories from so long ago. What a special time our families used to have together, and the trips with the Galileans to Ernul, NC at Macedonia Free Will Baptist Church for their Homecomings. They all remember Ricky and have had him and his family on their prayer list every since finding out about his illness. The Lawrence Familiy will always hold a special place in our hearts. We are so glad to know that Ricky is with our Savior.
Congratulaions, you made it. Words can not express how much I miss you already. But I would rather miss you than you be in pain anymore. You are now resting in the arms of Jesus. Give mom a big hug for me and tell her we will be there soon.
I love you brother. I know you are in heaven rejoicing with mom right now, and one day I will see you both again. Until then, I know that both of you will be watching over all of us.
We will miss you a greatly. Breakfast at the cracker barrel will not be the same for your dad, mike, and the kids without you there. We will all miss talking with you and your smile. Glad that now you are in perfect health. We love you.
Dear Kim and family, may God give you all comfort at this time. I have fond memories of Ricky, he spend many hours at my house practicing the piano after school and just visiting. He will be missed.
See Ricky, I told you, “either way – you win”. Our sweet Lord and Savior has welcomed you into his arms! Kim I know you know he was quite a “character”! We had a lot of fun at work. I will miss his friendship. See you on the other side, Grumpy Old Man!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this trying time. Know that you can take comfort in knowing that he is seeing the one he sang so faithfully about for so many year.
To the entire Lawrence family, my prayers are with you during this difficult time. Ricky was friendly, kind and loving. It is my hope that the warmth of all he was comfort you in the days to come. Heaven truly received someone special.
Know that you have been in my thoughts. Words cannot express the way I feel right now. I will miss you very much but I know you are in a better place now. Tell mama I said ‘Hello’ and I miss her too. She has been gone twice as long as I even knew her, but one day I will see her again. Should had known that you would find a way to see her first.
What an honor and blessing it has been to be your next door neighbor for almost 8 years Mr. Ricky! I’ll never forget you–you used to always tell Carmen that she had a little brother to make her laugh(which of course she doesn’t–she has a little sister). You used to always ask where is the rest of little 4 pound chihuahua “Lisa”. So many memories that I can’t type them all but I’ve already said my temporary goodbyes to you. You used to always say what great neighbors we are but I say that the feeling is mutual. Thanks for being such a great friend and neighbor. I’ll be sure to look after your best friend and beautiful wife Ms. Kim:) Love you always¦, Angel, Tex, Carmen & Candace.
Since meeeting Ricky and his family there has always been a disire to know them better,
A family that loved and respected every one.
Ricky will be long remembered
Hey uncle Ricky I am really. Going to miss you you was a great man who was loved by everyone. The one thing im going to miss about you is your since of humer. And how you called me Suzy Q and watch you play the piano. You will be missed but never forgotton your memories will always live in our heart . RIP Uncle Ricky and ilove you very much your niece Suzy Q
Even though it has been years since I have see the Lawrence family, I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I pray that you find strength and comfort in our Lord Jesus Christ. My prayers are with all of you that I went to church with many years ago.
Kim, my deepest sympathy to you and your family. Ricky would always stop by Betty and Caesar’s home when he was traveling through NC to visit with them. On many occasions in the past as he and I would talk on the phone about their health conditions, I sensed he was concerned and I really appreciated his interest. In addition, Mom always enjoyed Ricky’s visit and she would want him to play the piano and sing a few songs. And he always did. Ricky is now enjoying the reunion with his Mom and all the other relatives that have gone on before him. I know you and his brothers and sisters will cherish the time he was with us.
We are so sorry to hear of Ricky’s passing. My wife and I attended FWBBC with Ricky and have some fond memories of him. Our thoughts and prayers will be with his family.
Kim and Kirstyn, On behalf of the entire Barker Family we want you to know that your loss of Ricky has saddened all of us and we are lifting you up in prayer during these difficult days.
Who would have ever thought that when I met Ricky some 36 years ago, when HE was in college, that our friendship would continue through so many different avenues. From days at Janet and Barry’s house to nights with the Galileans, then our kids at PCS to little Jason in preschool. The years flew by but Ricky remained the same. Always catching me up on the latest with mutual friends and making me laugh out loud. Our family always appreciated the time he gave to playing the piano for George whenever he needed it. His talent never went unnoticed and it was truly a talent given by God. It was amazing to hear him play. We will never forget Ricky and I personally will always remember him with fond memories and great appreciation. Thanks for sharing him with all of us.
My prayers to your family. There are no words to comfort you at this time but knowing that Ricky is with our Lord we can draw comfort from God’s Love and the love of our friends and family. Debbie Weir Barbra (Aunt Rene and Uncle Tommy’s youngest daughter).
So sorry for your loss Kim and family – But I know my mom is sure enjoying listening to Ricky play the piano in Heaven right now! What a day of rejoicing they are having!!w
For Kim and family,
I am deeply sorry to hear about Ricky. I know what you must be going through as I was in the same situation a year ago. I really enjoyed working with Ricky for eight years and getting to meet you and the kids. I especially enjoyed the times Ricky would bring Jesse and Jason to work with him. I sure love your two boys and always looked forward to seeing them. Ricky had a great musical talent and you don’t know how much I appreciated him singing at Fred’s funeral last year. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
I am Uncle Tommy and Aunt Rene’s Oldest daughter (Peanut) The Homegoing of Ricky as sad as it is to lose him what a Glorious home he has gone to.Some of my fondest memories were of your family especially aunt Peggy I still talk about her to this day, please give her a hug for me.God Bless your family and may they find peace and comfort in the fact that you are with the Lord our Father and Savior.Father God please wrap your loving arms around this family as they send your Angel on home.Amen
What a great loss. A good man who loved his family more than words can express. Thought and prayers to all.
Dear Lyn and Stan,
I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. You have my deepest condolences…
My thoughts and prayers are extended to you and your entire family, Ricky’s wife and children…
Linda Allen
IBC
Ricky was undoubtably the most talented man I’ve ever known . He was always willing to share that talent as well. I could always count on him to play for me when I sang at weddings. We must have have done dozens and dozens! In fact, one of the last times I saw Ricky, he played for me again when I was honored to be asked to sing at Mrs. Saunders funeral. He was not feeling well when we over the song back stage, but you would never know it. His delightful and giving spirit, and unmatched talent shown through. I love you, Ricky! Thanks for all the memories and above all…your music. I will miss you dearly.
Richard and I have known Ricky since he was a little boy. We were so impressed that he could play the piano so well as a young child. When we lived in Nashville, Tn. Ricky came to see us often when he was going to Bible College. Heavens gain is our loss.
Sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family at this time. He will be missed by all who knew him!
Love and prayers,
Celia & Mike
praying for Gods comforting arms to surround you all at this time
praying for Gods comforting arms to surround you all at this time
I am a Senior Teller in Chesapeake where Mr. Lawrence Bank.
He was a joy to me. Every time he came in he would never let anyone wait on him but me and I looked forward on waiting on him. Because when he came in with his stories they always picked me up when I was down. Most of his stories were about his family, which he loved his family dearly. I felt like I knew his whole family from his stories. The funny thing about him is that when he tells his stories he would not get interrupted by the other members that were standing in line. The line could be almost out the door and he did not care, his stories were never interrupted. He always finishes them no matter what. And the funny thing about it I would pretend I was still doing transactions for him so the members would not get upset but them getting upset did not matter to him. He told me about the truck that his wife let him get, yes let him buy. He told me about his daughter going to nursing school to the time she finish nursing school, getting married and having his grandson. He told me about his mother-in-law living with him and all the funny incidents that took place, even the time of her passing. What was really funny was when I imagine his wife looking a certain way and when I met her I was really impress to see how beautiful she was. I thought she was his daughter. And yes we laughed out loud right in Foodlion because Kim thought it was funny too. I will miss him so very much.
Kim and family, though our hearts are filled with saddness we are also rejoicing knowing that Ricky is healthy and whole again in his Heavenly home, singing with the Angels. He has been a great witness for the Lord, touching countless hearts and lives through his music. Ricky, you and the kids have been wonderful neighbors and great friends. We will miss Ricky everyday. Al is really going to miss his handy-man buddy. Our love and prayers are with each of you. May God continue to keep you always in His care.
Al & Mary
Kim – just wanted you to know I am thinking of you and your family during this time of sadness. I cannot make the service but wanted you to know I send you much love and prayers!
We love you all and cherish the memories we have starting soooo many years ago. Those were the days!K We will continue to pray for all of you: Kim, kids, Peggy, everyone.
Kim and family,
I am very sorry to hear of your loss. May God give you peace in this time on grief. You all are in my prayers.
I am so sorry for yalls loss! Mr. Lawrence was a great man! He will be truly missed. My prayers are with u all!
Ricky was not only my friend for many years, my brother in law forever, and Uncle to my to children. Ricky, you were my fellow Barry Manilow geek.We shared a love for him unlike most people. But that was ok. There will never be another piano player on earth, God given talent like yours Ricky. I could listen to you forever. I will miss you forever. I am so have blessed to be a part of your life…Save me a seat around that “Golden Piano” in the sky.Gone, but never forotten. I love you Ricky.
Mr. Ricky will be sorely missed by me, my family, and the entire community here in Hampton Roads. He was an amazing person, a gifted musician, and a great teacher to me. I thank God for bringing him into my life as a mentor, and also as a friend to my father. He was so encouraging to everyone he met, and his passion for his family, friends, and music was infectious to all he came in contact with. He will be sorely missed, and my sincerest condolences go out to his family. You all are in my prayers, and I appreciate the honor to have been able to play at the funeral!
Ricky will be greatly missed, but he is in heaven singing praises and probably playing a piano. No more pain! Oh what a loving God! Condolences to his wife Kim, his children and their families…. also to his extended family, The Galileans. God be with and bless you all!
I worked with Rick for a few months in 2008. In that brief time I knew him to be a great person, always willing to lend a hand, and give advice. I never saw him without a smile. My thoughts are with his family.