James Albert Lawrence

James Albert “Jim” Lawrence, 90, passed away Saturday, January 4, 2025 at his home in Lakeland, TN. He was born in Memphis in October 1934 to Alton Lamar and Mary Ella Moore Lawrence. He attended Messick High School (a year ahead of Elvis), and was a graduate of Memphis State University, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity (Delta Zeta, 1953), later serving as alumni chapter president. College summers as a Mississippi riverboat deck hand and emerging rock n’ roll DJ “Jumpin’ Jim” in Bastrop, LA & Blytheville, AR.

After graduation, he was commissioned as a US Air Force officer, attended flight training, deployed to Japan and Taiwan as a pilot and radar operator in the aftermath of the Korean War. While overseas, he met Nancy Purcell, a secretary with the U.S. Foreign Service in Taipei, Taiwan. The two kept in touch and were married at Nellis AFB, NV in 1959. Following a brief stint at a radar station on the US-Mexico border, the couple returned to Memphis, where Jim completed his juris doctorate at the Southern College of Law (now University of Memphis). He established himself as an expert in family law. Life member of the Memphis Bar Association and was appointed to the Shelby County Court as Divorce Referee and special judge in chancery and juvenile courts, retiring from the bench at age 82.

After Nancy’s death in 1998, Jim married longtime family friend, Laura Williams New Year’s Day 2003, making their home together in Lakeland. Jim and Laura spent many happy summers at their house in Navarre, Florida and enjoyed traveling to Nova Scotia, Quebec City, Mexico and the Bahamas.

An avid sports fan, Jim never missed a Memphis Tigers basketball or football game with memorable road trips to the Tigers’ two latest Final Fours & the Cotton Bowl with family. He willingly cheered for the alma maters of his children and grandchildren (unless of course they were playing Memphis). His true love was travel and flying. Jim was a private pilot & 30-year AOPA member, keeping his Cessna at Arlington, Charles Baker & Fayette County airports for many years. When not in the air, he enjoyed the Lakeland “lake life;” cruising & swimming. An adventurer, he traveled internationally to Spain, Ireland & numerous Caribbean destinations. A lover of the outdoors, he was a Scout, serving on Kamp Kia Kima staff as a youth and as Scout Cubmaster for his sons, introducing them to his lifelong avocations golf, camping, canoeing, boating & waterskiing.

Preceded by his parents, he leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife of 22 years, Laura Lawrence; sister, Corrie Jean (James) Wilson of Florida; two sons, Mark J. (Jenny) Lawrence of Lakeland, and Joel B. (Beth) Lawrence of Franklin, TN; four grandchildren, Mitchell F. (Ellen) Lawrence of Kingston Springs, TN; Tyler A. Lawrence of Jersey City, NJ; Hannah (Chandler) Clough of Huntsville, AL; and Brady T. Lawrence of Nashville, TN.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to the University of Memphis Scholarship Fund, Old Kia Kima Youth Camp, The Kia Kima Alumni Association, Colonial Park United Methodist Church, the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation or your charity of choice.

A memorial gathering for James will be held Saturday, January 18, 2025 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 North Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, TN 38133. Following the memorial gathering will be a celebration of life at his home immediately following at 2:30 PM at 4184 Cedar Point Rd, Lakeland, TN 38002.