Charles (Shorty) Grant Lawrence
November 12, 1922 ~ April 5, 2012
Shorty passed away peacefully at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Thursday morning after suffering another stroke, with his wife of 66 years, Loretta and daughter, Vicki by his side.
He was predeceased by his son, Joey Lawrence; father, Elmer Lawrence; mother, Louise (Pennier) Lawrence; brother, Bill Lawrence;sister Myrtle (Migliorino) Lawrence; father-in-law, Sam Ryder; mother-in-law, Isabel (Holding) Ryder; brothers-in-law, Albert Kerras, Fred Lee, Anthony Migliorino, Rod Leger, Larry Clark and sister-in-law, Vera (Tracy) Lawrence.
He is survived by his wife, Loretta (Ryder) Lawrence; daughters: Charlotte (Don Albion), Vicki (Ron Jones), Linda (Charles Clark); son, Darcy Lawrence; also by fourteen grandchildren: Dean, Joely, Quinn Albion; Yolanda (Darren Wicks) Jones, Pamela (Ryan Dvorak) Jones; Crystal, Charles, Karen, Samantha, Tristan Clark; Tanya (Rob Clarke) Lawrence, Brandy Lawrence: Jolene, Toni Lawrence; nine great grandchildren: Joey, Nicholas, Daman, Kyah Albion; Nicole, Laura, Harry Wicks; Ivy, Rocco Clarke; brother, Jack Lawrence; sisters: Lorna Keras, Ruth (Lee) Clark, Mabel (Jack Nichols); his brother-in-law, Vincent Ryder, and sisters-in-law, Verda Leger, Lois Ryder, Alice Ryder; and daughter-in-law, Heather Bergstrom. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was a member of the Canadian Scottish Regiment during WWII; he served from 1941 – 1945, mostly in Italy, a “D-Day Dodger.” He received the Canadian Volunteer Medal and Clasp; Defense Medal; 1939-1945 Star; the France, Germany and Italian Stars. He was a life member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 10, in Nanaimo and had previously belonged to the Hope Branch No. 228 in his home town.
In his earlier years, Shorty worked on the Kettle Valley Railroad with his father and brother, Jack. He found his niche in the Logging Industry doing various jobs ending up being a Faller and onto a Bull Bucker before retiring from Sewell Inlet. He spent over twenty years on the Queen Charlotte Islands at Moresby and Sewell Inlet Logging Camps.
Shorty loved fishing, hunting and cooking for the family, he could make a great meal out of nothing. He always said that the grandchildren could smell his homemade bread from miles away but he always had extra ready in case they showed up. If you ever left the house hungry it was your own fault.
We will all miss him and hopefully we have all learned something from him to remember for years to come and pass along to others.
There will be no service by request and his ashes will be placed in the Veterans Cemetery in Hope at a later date.
“Rest in peace big Papa”