Stephen P. Lawson

Stephen P. Lawson of Smyrna, GA died Thursday, April 23 of complications from colon, and liver cancer. Rather than offering a standard obituary of accomplishments, Stephen chose to write the following:

“By the time you read this, my ongoing process of sanctification has been short-circuited by death, no doubt an ailment my gastroenterologist would consider life threatening. My belief is that I have asked forgiveness of everyone I have either wronged or offended as I have attempted to live out my last years in peace and repentance. I correctly made the two wisest decisions of my life; the person I was to spend my life with here on earth, Elyse Harvey Reinhard Lawson, and the person I was to spend eternity with after I died, Jesus Christ. In the former, I married my best friend and the nicest person I ever knew. We were married for 48 years. Blake Stiles Lawson is our son and a person of great integrity. My greatest honor in life was being Harvey’s husband and Blake’s dad. I have lived a wonderful life and truly, want for nothing. I experienced the Lord in the middle of my circumstances and He was faithful to work all things together for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. His mercy endures forever, and I can depend on His saving grace. I have been blessed beyond measure. Now I join the cloud of witnesses who have preceded me in proclaiming: “Glory to the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever unto the ages of ages.” Amen.”

Born in New York City on May 25, 1937 to Lillian Pollack Lawson and Sanford Everett Lawson he was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Rosemary L. Strickman. He attended Kentucky Military Institute and graduated from the Franklin School in New York City. He was awarded a basketball scholarship to New York University, a Division1 school at the time, and played his freshman and sophomore years before seriously injuring his knee. Married in 1966 to the former Elyse Harvey Reinhard of Atlanta, they settled in Atlanta. After several life changing events, Mr. Lawson authored a bestselling Christian book, Daddy Why Are You Going to Jail, released by Shaw Publishers in 1993. The book was updated in 2014. Additionally he authored several novels: The Arrangement and The Fix as well as two non-fiction books: Obama: He Reminds Me of the Person I Used to Be and Schmucks and Other White Collar Criminals. All books are available as E-books on Amazon. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 29 at 10:30 am at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, 3431 Trickum Road, Marietta, GA 30066. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Reflections Ministries, Inc. in Atlanta and the Orthodox Christian Mission Center located in St. Augustine, FL.