Keith O. Lawrence

KEITH O. LAWRENCE

Decorah

Keith O. Lawrence died Feb. 7, 2021, from COVID-19 while in hospice care in Decorah, Iowa. He was 95. Despite the quarantine, his daughters were at his side as he peacefully slipped away.

Born April 7, 1925, in Mount Ayr, Iowa, to Fairy Belle and Conrad Lawrence, Keith and his older brother Richard were raised on a small farm near Coon Rapids in central Iowa. As children of the Depression, they were no strangers to the hardships of rural living; no doubt for that reason both eschewed a life of farming. Keith's family often remarked that except for his love of gardening, one would never identify him as a farm boy; he was a city boy through-and-through.

In 1943, following graduation from Coon Rapids High School, he enlisted in the Navy, where he served three years as a navigation quartermaster third class on the light cruiser USS Richmond, the flagship for the Northern Pacific Campaign that cruised the Aleutian Islands during WWII. After the War and a brief stint at Drake College, he met Mary Wilma Stock while performing in play. They wed on June 8, 1947, in Des Moines, Iowa. Keith worked in home furnishings in several Midwestern towns before finally settling in Cedar Rapids. For almost 30 years he enjoyed designing and selling commercial interiors for Pioneer Workspace Solutions.

A kind and loving husband and father, Keith enjoyed collecting stamps, watching college basketball, attending concerts and plays, acting in community theater, traveling, reading, and solving jigsaw puzzles. As an ISU certified master gardener, he inspired all of his children to continue his love of horticulture. Well-organized and prone to excessive planning, he maintained a quiet patience in a home filled with four overactive children and a harried wife. Keith was a handsome man, sporting a full head of thick hair till his final day. Taking pride in his attire, he was always nattily dressed for the office with a freshly pressed shirt, a carefully coordinated tie selected from his impressive collection, and a fashionable suit or sport jacket. To say that Keith watched his pennies would be an understatement, but as a doting elderly father and grandfather he could always be persuaded to pick up the check. As testimony to his good-humored nature, he enjoyed being gently teased about his well-known tight-fistedness. His favorite running joke among his children was to drive by a Dairy Queen in the middle of winter and offer to treat them to ice cream, only to feign surprise that it was closed.

St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids was the focal point of the Lawrence family's religious and social lives, as they regularly attended church services, potlucks, Sunday school classes, youth groups, vacation Bible schools, and choir rehearsals. Actively involved in the Cedar Rapids Noon Lions Club for more than 30 years, Keith proudly served as its President, 1987-88; the Iowa District 9 Governor, 1991-92; and Council Chair, 1992-93. For his dedicated service he was presented with Lion of the Year, 1988; the William Coleman Award, 1991-92; and the Melvin Jones Fellow Award, 1992-93.

Married for more than 63 years before his wife Mary's death on Dec. 5, 2010, in 2011 Keith moved from the Cedar Rapids Meth-Wick Community to Decorah to be close to his daughter Emilie and son-in-law Dean Thompson. He enjoyed life at Vennehjem Retirement Home for five years before moving to Aase Haugen nursing home.

Keith also was preceded in death by his youngest daughter, Jennifer Lynn; his brother, Richard Lawrence; parents, Fairy Belle (Rush) and Conrad Lawrence; his stepmother, Elizabeth (Lizzie Schumacher) Lawrence; and his great-granddaughter, Ella Marie Thompson.

Survivors include his daughters, Rhonda K. Lawrence, Los Angeles, Calif., and Emilie J. Thompson (Dean), Decorah, Iowa; son, Kent H. Lawrence, Palm Springs, Calif.; grandsons, Matthew L. Thompson (Sarah), Raleigh, N.C., and Erik J. Thompson, Helena, Mont.; great-granddaughter, Hailey Anne; and several nieces and nephews.

Internment was at the St. Paul's United Methodist Church Columbarium. A memorial service will be held at a later time when it is safe to gather.

The family extends its deep gratitude to Aase Haugen staff for their care where he resided for five years.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation in Keith's memory to Camp Courageous: 12007 190th St., Monticello, IA 52310 https://campcourageous.org/honor-memorial/