Mr. Lawrence C. "Lefty" Johnson's Obituary
Lawrence C. “Lefty” Johnson, age 79 of Nashville, passed away on September 11, 2015. He was born in Cambridge, Ohio on May 8, 1936 and was the third of five children born to the late Velma Huntsman. Lawrence will be remembered as a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.
His family remembers that Lawrence was a feisty little guy, with a very adventurous streak. Too short for basketball, Lawrence gravitated toward boxing and excelled at it. He was even a Golden Gloves champion! One summer, Lawrence and his uncle took to the road in an old, beat-up car with no destination in mind. When the car eventually stalled, they hopped a freight train and ended up in Alliance, Nebraska, where they spent the summer working as cowboys.
When Lawrence met and married Rose, his boxing days ended. He had a family to think of and it was time to settle down. He spent many years in the manufacturing industry, making pulleys for automobiles and other duties, but, he never lost his sense of adventure…and Rose never let him lose it. The loving couple often got together with friends on the weekend and went out riding motorcycles.
In 1987, Lawrence and Rose left behind lifelong friends like David Fitzgerald, Brother PeeWee and family and moved to Nashville where they started a new life and made new friends.
Lawrence and his longtime friend, Ervin Potts, shared many things in their lives. They went to the same one-room school in Ohio, they worked in the same factory, and they enjoyed going hunting and fishing together. Just this May, the two friends learned that they shared something else – cancer. Still, they managed to go on one last fishing trip together. Then in June, Lawrence heard that his best friend has passed. It broke his heart.
Lawrence and Rose have been doing a lot of traveling lately. They really enjoyed snorkeling the blue Caribbean. Their last trip to Canton, Ohio is one that Rose will never forget.
In addition to his parents, Lawrence was preceded in death by his brothers, Robert Craft, Troy Craft, and Harry Louis Sills.
Lawrence is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Rose Marie Johnson; son, Randy Johnson (Barbara); daughters, Yolande Welch and Christy Johnson; grandsons, Aaron, Vincent, and Nicholas Johnson; brother, Eldon Unklesbay (Sandra); and many nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly.
The family will gather for visitation on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 from 7:00pm until 9:00pm at Spring Hill Funeral Home. Additional visitation will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, from 11am until 1pm. Funeral services will commence on Wednesday at 1:00pm from the Chapel of Spring Hill Funeral Home. Entombment will follow in the mausoleum at Historic Spring Hill Cemetery with family and friends serving as Pallbearers.
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