From Adrian L. Lawrence: Lindel Lawrence was not only my cousin but also a mentor, a devoted family member, a cherished friend, and an accomplished businessman. He was a simple and humble man yet sophisticated. He was my closest family member, and we shared a bond dating back to my days in primary school. Most weekends, he would drive to Johns Hall, Clarendon, to visit "Uncle Henry," my dad. In many ways, he was like a big brother. I recalled that he embarked on his professional journey while residing at Langard Ave. in Kingston. During summer or easter breaks, I usually go to Kingston to spend some time with my network of relatives, and during one of my visits, he took me down to the dry cleaners where he worked, and I saw him operating a large steam-driven pressing machine. That was quite an experience for a young country boy. His journey continued, which later took him to the Trade Union Congress (TUC), where he worked on a team with lead Trade Unionist Hopeton Caven and former Prime Minister Hon. Portia Simpson Miller. While spending time with him in his TUC office, I observed Lindel conducting meetings in his well-laundered white shirt. He was a man who was always elegantly dressed. I was so proud to see him in that role. He later went to England for training and moved to New York, where his fortunes changed for good. Several years ago, on a flight to Jamaica, we sat across from Hopeton Caven, and he was still displeased that Lindel had not returned to TUC after completing training in England. He was expecting that Lindel would continue to be a trade unionist. I knew him in the bad and good times, but our friendship and family bonds were never shaken. He always reminded me, "We are the only ones left in New York, and we must support each other," and we did. His support stretched beyond family boundaries and crescendoed across many people. Our bond was not based on his wealth, and thank God his financial success did not affect our relationship. I knew that he had my back, and I also had his back. We did not always agree on various issues, but it did not affect our relationship. Time after time, when this family and others needed someone to lean on, he was always there, and when he wanted to lean on me, I was there as well. In the last 12 months, we spent several days together at his apartment and at my home in Long Island to discuss various issues. I enjoyed our time together. As usual, I would give him my advice on a variety of matters. He sometimes agreed, and a few weeks later, I found out he had changed his mind. I was not upset because I felt that it was his affair and that he must have felt comfortable with the decisions that he made. When certain business or personal decisions did not work out, we moved on. To understand our relationship, several years ago, my wife was scheduled for surgery at 6:00 am that morning. Lindel drove from Brooklyn to Long Island and was at my home by 4:45 am to accompany us to the hospital. Those who know him know he has problems driving in the dark, but he made it to my home. As my wife Yasmin was guided into the operating room, tears fell from our eyes. He stayed with me all day during the 10 hours of preparation and surgery, and he spent the night at my home. He has attended every christening and graduation for our two Sons except for one occasion. Due to his illness, he could not attend Damian's recent graduation and was very disappointed that he could not make it. When he suffered financial losses of various kinds, as disappointed as he was, he told me, "The Lord Giveth and He taketh." He felt that his storehouse would be replenished with what he had lost, and it was. These are just a few examples of the man I knew, but there is a lot more I can tell you about his compassion and care for his family, extended family, and friends. Yes, he was not perfect by a long shot, but I know he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior; he reminded me of this while he was in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital several weeks ago. But I must ask all family and friends here today: Who will fill the void he leaves behind? This is not just about his finances; it's more than that; it's about his compassionate nature, his generosity, his dependability, it's about his positive posture, it's about the love of family, it's about caring for each other, it's about forgiving each other, it's about his unselfishness, and it's about bringing people together. If we all failed to emulate these qualities, we would be guilty of desecrating his memory. So, I ask our families, siblings, and friends where do you stand? Are you going to honor his memory or not? The choice is yours. Lindel Lawrence "has fought a good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, and henceforth there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give him on that day." His memory will live forever in the hearts of those who knew him. May his Soul rest in Peace. Amen
Let the memory of Lindel be with us forever.
On February 23, 2024, Lindel Lawrence (affectionately known as “Larry”) ended his battle with cancer and passed away peacefully in the home of his beloved family in Groveland, Florida. At the time of his passing, his hands were held, and he was surrounded by love and prayer.
Larry was born on February 12, 1938, to Ruth Johnson and Eustace Lawrence in Duncans Trelawny, Jamaica, West Indies. After his education at Duncan’s Primary School, Larry apprenticed with Uncle Sammy in Warsop, who taught him carpentry. There, he learned to build furniture and constructed a chair for his mother said to be unbreakable. He took this work ethic to Mandeville, where he secured his first job at Dr. Lannan’s dry cleaners, operating the ironing machine. He took pride in this position and learned to iron shirts perfectly, a skill that would become a marker of his fashion for years to come. He saved his earnings and moved to Kingston, where he worked for Newbell Dry Cleaning while taking labor relations classes at the University of the West Indies. He was then and has always been diligent, courteous, charismatic, a man of the people, and an orator. With these characteristics, he was ushered into the position of union representative for the Trade Union Congress of Jamaica (TUC). There, he represented Jamaica internationally and gained notoriety. He became affiliated with Jamaica’s greats, such as Rex Nettleford, Hopeton Caven, and former Prime Ministers PJ Patterson and Portia Simpson Miller. Ever a believer in education, Larry continued his studies at The University of Birmingham and subsequently caught the attention of Cornell University (CU) after moving to the United States in 1969. He was offered a scholarship to attend Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and completed his studies in 1974. He was the first to attend an Ivy League institution in his family but not the last, as he blazed the trail for his daughter and grandson, who would follow in his footsteps decades later.
Beyond education, his move to The United States gave rise to several life-changing opportunities. He met and married his love, Erma Scott, in 1972, and started a family. He became a real estate agent and found his
niche, which led to a lifetime of real estate investments. He started with multifamily properties in Brooklyn and moved on to Silver Creek, where he took bare land purchased in Cardiff Hall, Jamaica, and transformed it into a boutique resort with multiple villas spread across acres. Larry loved Silver Creek as it was more than a hotel to him. It was also a home for family gatherings including the wedding ceremony of his oldest daughter and the christening of his youngest granddaughter. In the years to come, more deals were made in Jamaica, New York, and Florida. Though a recognized businessman, Larry was never boastful and never too proud to do manual labor at his properties himself.
Despite business and family commitments, Larry made time to give back to the community. He held office in the Boys and Girls Club in Brooklyn in the 80s and 90s and received accolades for his work. He became an active member of Lenox Road Baptist Church and Gregory Park Baptist Church in Jamaica and sang in both choirs. He was giving and kind.
In his last months, he maintained the character that served him well. It was not unusual to visit him in the hospital and see him surrounded by nurses as he told stories from his homeland, nor was it unusual for him to make light of his circumstances, once noting that “they are shining up a golden chariot for me,” in reference to a stretcher brought to transport him from one hospital room to the next. As his health declined, he was noted as “nonverbal” by doctors, yet he was able to offer a very clear greeting of “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” when visited by medical staff. He was gracious and grateful to the family and staff who cared for him in his last days.
Larry had family and friends abound. He is survived by his wife, Erma Lawrence, by his siblings, Beryl Johnson, Claudia McKinney, Leslie Wint, Lewin Wint, Hugo Wint, Canute Wint, and Olga Johnson; his children, numerous grandchildren, extended family members, and friends across the world. He will be sorely missed.
Video of funeral service https://www.youtube.com/live/az9WQU8Cgr0?si=3ByKeYGX8lSyvXUD
Resting place · Canarsie Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
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From Lewin Wint: My brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends, Olga and I apologize that we, two young naive guileless kids back then cannot, and are unable to match the accounts of my brother’s earlier days, but what we can contribute, what we know, what we experienced is that, the gifts our brother, Larry received from the Almighty, by only the grace of God, he multiplied them immensely, and this is exemplified by his children and the many friends here from all over the world and from all walks of life. Larry, Big Brother, Our Savior has called you home after toiling for over half a century. You have overcome and you are victorious, the light you provided has dimmed and all our lives will never be as bright, we will surely miss the dry humor with your s-l-o-w leisurely speech with touches of our homeland’s melodic accent, we will miss your charismatic smile and your GQ-esque mode of dressing not to mention that walk, effortlessly sauntering along and never seem to be in a hurry. Larry, our stylish and sophisticated brother, you will always be treasured forever in our memories. We love you but Jesus loves you best, sleep on my brother, sleep and take your rest.
Tribute to Uncle Larry From the Pinnock, Robinson and Cameron family: In the book of Proverbs 18:24 of the Revised Standard Version of the bible it states, ‘There are friends who pretend to be friends but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ One would be hard pressed to find a more suitable phrase than that to describe Lindel Lawrence, a friend of the late Bishop Denzil Cameron. A friend who stood with him in good times and in the not so good times. Uncle Larry, as he is affectionately called in our family, whether the Pinnock’s the Robinsons’ or the Cameron households, is the uncle that everyone desires but few ever experience. The earliest collective memory of when his friendship with Denzil Cameron began dates back to the early 1960’s in Kingston Jamaica. Then, both young men were part of the group known as the magnificent seven. Their friendship lasted a lifetime until the passing of Denzil 16 years ago this past January. From young men to wise and mature gentlemen who were successful in life and in business, yet they never forgot their roots and their friendship remained solid. Uncle Larry was the most easy going of uncles that one could have, however, he was also a no nonsense uncle. I have never heard him raise his voice in anger and if he was angry you could not tell. He had the most pleasant demeanour of any person you could encounter and he was expertly deft at handing you $50 when no one was looking. Even when he was recapping incidences from his time as a young man in Kingston Jamaica, he was so captivating that you would hang on to his every word. Like the time he told the story of how my father (Bishop Cameron) dislocated his shoulder throwing a punch at some guy and missed. I wondered what would have happened had he connected. Uncle Larry and my dad used to share the story of the time when uncle Larry was sick and in the hospital in Kingston Jamaica with little promise of survival. The group ( the magnificent seven) went and took him out of the hospital and nursed him back to health. They did such a fantastic job of caring for him during that period, he outlived them all. Uncle Larry was present when Denzil Cameron lost his younger brother Bob in the mid sixties. He was present after Denzil had a devastating motor vehicle accident in 1964 and was instrumental in his care and recuperation. Uncle Larry was there for the wedding of his oldest daughter, he was present when Denzil was ordained as a Bishop. He was there for the opening of the new church Building in Race Track Jamaica in 1998 and for the opening of Beulah Land in Morgan’s Pass Clarendon years later. He truly was a friend closer than a brother as he was present for all the important and life altering moments in his friends life. Men of his calibre are hard to find in our time but we keep looking. He will be greatly missed on this side of eternity. I can only imagine the reunion in Glory when he saw his friend Denzil again. On behalf of the Pinnock, Robinson and Cameron family, I convey my deepest condolences to the Lawrence family at his passing and pray that God will grant you his peace in this time. Quote: Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.
From Corinne Lawrence: Our Dad was a great man in many ways as you’ve already heard multiple times today. And On behalf of his wife, my mother Erma Lawrence she loves and has ALWAYS loved our father ‘Larry’ very much. Our father was Highly intelligent, savvy, charismatic, multifaceted, poised and in so many ways; easily able to navigate any environment he was in; He was able to rub shoulders with the highest echelon and at the same time be very comfortable with the humblest of society. He loved quiet surroundings, he loved country life as evidenced by his love for nature gardening & yet was an astute businessman. He was a stickler for education and often spoke in parables. One day, during my school years I remember asking him for a gift or some random toy and he answered… “E… Pluribus… Unum… ” and I said “ Huh? What is that? And he explained that it was Latin and told me to find out what it meant and then I could get what I asked for. He handed me a 25 cent coin that had the inscription on it and said , ” if you don’t know,go ask your teachers” . The next day I ran to every teacher at school to see if they knew the interpretation so I could obtain what I desired. Needless to say they didn’t know, but It set me on a quest for knowledge and discovery. He was stickler for decency, and how you carried yourself and especially the way you spoke. As a very young child, I was like a kerchief in his pocket & frequent flier with him during his many trips to Jamaica. I recall one of my stays in particular; where I was left with a family member in Vere for an extended amount of weeks & I picked up what I would consider a more intensified version of the dialect compared to when I was in Kingston. When I returned back to the states, there was one evening in particular where our Dad was in for a shock. We were watching a horse race on the television with our eyes fixed to see who was going to win, and I belted out, “Daddy, watch de goat dem!” and I thought he was going to burst! He exclaimed “Stop it! Stop it! Don’t you ever talk like that again if you want to get anywhere in this life!” My excitement was quickly jolted to silence and I was confused at the reaction. It was so trivial at the time, but his words later on… proved to be true. I share that story to to demonstrate just how passionate he was about proper speech. He displayed a hard work ethic with discipline and was never found sleeping late in bed even on the weekends. He commanded respect and was respected by our friends and neighbors. I admired the fact that he always had a heart for the underdog and those less fortunate. For that reason, he taught us that nothing in this life is just handed to you and we had to work for it. He instilled that whatever you choose to do, no matter how great or small ; try to be the best at it. He encouraged all his children to embrace each other as brother and sister without bias. I was ALWAYs game for that and felt happiness at the thought of a large family, The more the merrier! As I’m sure Julene, Diane, Paul, Nicky, the twins can all attest!!!Lol But Over time, as children growing up we don’t always understand or appreciate why things are the way they are. And Being the inquisitive and highly sensitive child I was, It sometimes brought complexities to our relationship. But it NEVER nullified our love for one another. In spite of any weaknesses, which we all have, he had tremendous Greatness and STILL remains a tough act to follow. I’m proud to call him my dad. His love for God grew more and more evident over the years and he would beam with joy to have his children or grandchildren accompany him in the house of God. That alone made his heart smile. I’m sure I don’t speak for myself when I say that his last days were not easy to watch at all…it was heart wrenching many times…to hold in our arms the one who once held us when we were first born. Daddy always said… among his MANY sayings, LIFE is but a breath my dear… right now THIS STATEMENT COULDN’T BE MORE TRUE. I realized more during recent years, that when God allows our loved ones to become severely ill or even leave us permanently, it’s an opportunity to lean in and press into God even more. We take comfort in the confidence that our Dad is with God in Heaven, with the Father he always praised for being eternally good to him. It's my prayer we will follow him in Faith, in Unity, Forgiveness and Love until we see him there again.
From Beavin Lawrence: My Father, like all great men, at a tender age, unknowingly embark on a great and mighty walk. And as they traverse their regal path, filled with THE thorns and honey of life, they learn, they teach, and they love. Knowing my father, if you knew him well, you would know, he lived as though these were the tenets of his life. But in his most intimate moments, and private musings, he embraced the ethereal, reflecting the utterances of what may be his most cherished author..Khalil Gibran And in the lofty prose of Gibran’s the Prophet : “Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not not would it be possessed; For love is sufficient onto love. When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,“ but rather, “I am in the heart of God.“ And think not that you can direct the course of love, but for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. Love has no other desire, but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed, willingly and joyfully. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving; To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy; To return home at eventide with gratitude; And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart, and a song of praise upon your lips