Curtis Kent Lawrence, 68, of Iola died Sunday in a car accident south of Olathe.
He was born on Nov. 11, 1942, (and was looking forward to his “special” birthday this year on 11-11-11) in Smith Center. He and his parents, John M. and Winnifred L. Lawrence, and younger brother, L. Bret Lawrence, moved to Iola in 1952, where he remained until he went to college at Kansas State University. He lived in Missouri for several years while in the Air Force Reserve out of Richards-Gebaur Air Force base, then moved back to Iola in 1979.
He bought the Iola Abstract Company in the early 1980s, and moved it from the northwest corner of the square to the east side of the square. He ran it until 1999, when he sold the business and relocated to Amarillo, Texas. He had moved back to the Iola area within the last five years.
Kent loved the humor in life and was never short on jokes and stories. He enjoyed camping and canoeing in his younger days, and even ran a Scout troop while in Nevada, Mo., in the 1970s. He taught his children about the love of the outdoors through many canoe trips over the years. He also was involved in his children’s sporting activities, occasionally coaching teams. In his twilight years, he quieted down his activities and lived vicariously through online computer games, most recently Star Wars.
Kent is survived by his mother, Winnie, Iola; brother, Bret, Olathe, and his family, wife, Linda, sons, Bryan and John, daughters, Brooke and Allison, and their respective families; all three children, Amy Lawrence, Huntsville, Mo., and her fiance, Chris Cleeton, Kathi Matthes and her husband, Mark, Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Jacob Lawrence and his wife, Amber, Iola; and five grandchildren, Jesse and Wyatt Matthes and Jadyn, Jersie and Jaxten Lawrence.
He was preceded in death by his father, John Lawrence, in 1984.
Memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Wesley United Methodist Church in Iola.
Cremation has taken place and there will be no graveside service.
Online condolences for the family may be left at www.iolafuneral.com.
Kent Lawrence
