Dr.Lawrence Denoh-beh Grear, Sr.
A Prepared Man
To everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
Preparation in the Beginning
Lawrence Denoh-beh Grear, Sr. was born September 16, 1948 to Samuel D. Grear and Sayder Esther in Gleplay Town, Grand Gedeh, Liberia,West Africa. He is of the Krahn Tribe and was the eldest of nine children. His mother died in child birth and his father was Town Chief employed as diamond mine worker who valued hard work over education. The Town Chief knew that education would be the key to the success of the Grear name and due to a lack of educational resources in the village, he allowed his son to be adopted -- From the village to the big city. At the age of six, he became part of the Yuoh Family.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with just a single step.”
Lawrence became a Christian very early in his life and was given the christened name of “Joseph”. Like his biblical namesake, he followed his dreams and conquered all of the challenges that life threw his way. Joe, as he was affectionately called, was devoted to living by Christian principles. He did not hesitate to pass it on. He participated in community services; he returned to the village and brought his younger sisters to join the Yuoh Clan at Mamba Point and was instrumental in bringing siblings from the clan to join him in the United States.
He did not deviate from his Christian upbringing and while in the United States, he attended church in Austin and Houston, Texas. When he moved to Langston, Oklahoma in 1991, he and the family joined Salters Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church where he remained active until the last two years when he was unable to attend on most Sundays.
“To God Be the Glory for the Great Things that He has done.”
Preparation for a Legacy of Life
The legacy that Lawrence left to his children was that of knowing their grandparents and great grandparents through him. Through his life, Lawrence told his children:
“Our people were simple folks, rarely with a high school diploma, not the ones God permitted me to know. But in their own simple way, they taught me what one can never learn in college or graduate school. They taught me simple values – to love people and not money; to be good because goodness is its own reward, and perhaps the best thing they shared was the religious faith that gave me a genuine sense of self-esteem. A paraphrase of what they said is, “It’s not the clothes that count, but the cut of your character.” Simple love, therefore, can make all of our lives richer.”
On July 26, 1980, Lawrence and Cecilia Vandi Beasley were married in Houston, Texas. To this union, two sons were born: Lawrence Denoh-beh, Jr. and Junisa, as well as the uniting of Cecilia’s children: Anne and Andrew, and Lawrence’s son: Christopher. This union lasted sixteen years. Three of these sons were U.S. Military Veterans with two of them being American heroes due to their being combat veterans: Sergeant Denoh Grear, U.S. Army Retired; Staff Sergeant Junisa Grear, U.S. Airforce.
On August 10, 1997, Lawrence and Julia Cooper were married in Minnesota. To this union, one son, Julian, was born, as well as Lawrence’s children and Julia’s son: Chukuma.
In life’s scenario, there are many things that happen. Lawrence wanted to be sure that all of his children understood that “we can count on each other in tragedy and triumph, in storms or sunshine, in failure or success.” He instilled in them the family motto: “Forward ever, backwards never. Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.”
Preparation for Life’s Journey
Lawrence first attended Wilson Memorial High School and graduated from William V.S. Tubman High School in Monrovia, Liberia. Grear loved public service. After high school, he received several certificates including Personal Management from the Institute of Public Administration, Management from Cuttington University in Liberia and a diploma from London Postal Institute in Postal Administration and Supervision in 1975.
This completion of his high school and the certificates was just a beginning of his quest for an education, a quest that had been instilled in him from birth throughout his life. This deep desire to continue his education compelled him to begin his higher education journey by matriculating and graduating from the University of Liberia in 1976 with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology.
After completing his B.A. degree, he traveled to Texas in 1976 and enrolled in Texas Southern University, completing a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology and Community Development in 1979. His next venture in education was from 1982 to 1986 when he enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin. He completed the Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography in 1987. His dissertation was An Evaluation of the Adequacy of the Census Data in Liberia. Throughout his life, Lawrence continued his professional development.
Preparation for World Service
…To remember that he is the slave of a slave who serves only himself;
To achieve the highest distinction in life—service to others;
To be honored not for what we receive but for what we give;
To achieve the loftiest ambition in the world; stooping to lift others a little higher.
Lawrence’s professional life spanned from high school to university professor to administrator on two continents. This included instructor of African History and population studies at Samuel Ford Dennis High School in Liberia.
From 1975 to 1978—at the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication in Monrovia, he served in several capacities including Director, Research and Training Officer and Instructor.
At Texas Southern University, while enrolled in the graduate program, he was a research and teaching assistant, and he was peer counselor and President of the Liberian Student Association. After receiving the Ph.D., Lawrence returned to Liberia to serve at the University of Liberia. He started as assistant professor of Sociology, Demography, and Social Sciences. Eight months into that position, Lawrence was asked to become the first Director of the Ibrahim B. Babangila Graduate School of International Studies. Another department was added to the University’s offerings, and Lawrence became the Director of the Department of Demography and Statistics.
Dr. Grear was responsible for a number of research projects and presentations. Some of these are The Impact of Rural to Urban Migration in Liberia, July 1989: A Case Study of Monrovia, Montserrado County; The Effects of Legal and Cultural Constraints and the Implementation of the National Population Policy in Liberia, June 1989; Forms and Types of HIV Counseling, May 1989, and The Effects of Tradition and Culture on HIV Counseling 1989. While in Liberia, he worked for the United Nations and served as the Education Liaison for the late President Samuel K. Doe. Dr. Grear would state, “It’s an honor to work with my Tribesman.”
In the midst of all of this growth at the University of Liberia, the Civil War that lasted for fourteen years (1989-2003) broke out and the University was forced to close in 1990. Thousands of people fled the country to the safety of the bordering countries including Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire. Some left for the United States; Lawrence was trapped in his home country for a period of eighteen months from 1990-1991. He was denied evacuation due to his not being a U.S. Citizen. This fueled his desire to ultimately become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.
Soon after he arrived in the United States, he was invited to join the faculty at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma. Lawrence served as assistant professor of Sociology and Chairman of the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities. He has presented papers at national meetings through several academic organizations. In 1994, The Collegiate Press of Alta Loma, California, selected Dr. Grear to serve on its editorial advisory board. Dr. Grear was one of two distinguished social scientists selected from across the Southwestern Region to edit for this professional organization’s publications.
Dr. Grear had many more successful professional presentations and activities even though he lived as a diabetic for approximately three decades, and he was blind since 2003. He never stopped teaching at Langston University. His reasons for continuing to teach included inspiring individuals to excel in academics, to conquer all obstacles in life, to overcome disabilities, and to have the mindset of believing in themselves. Many would have given up, but he took the attitude that Walter D. Wintle espoused in the poem entitled “If You Think”
If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you want to win, but think you can’t
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the State of the Mind.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger and faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
He continued his work, and he took advantage of every opportunity to be taught to become self sufficient and live a full, productive life. His students admired him for his positive attitude and emulated him in his will to “press on”. He would proclaim his affirmation daily to individuals for “Stick-to-it-tiveness”.
Meanwhile, it is interesting to note that Dr. Grear belonged to many professional organizations including; The Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society in Sociology, USA American Sociological Association, Southwestern Sociological Association; USA National Population Association of America; Oklahoma Sociological Association; Statewide Faculty Committee in the Disciplines of History, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium.
His hobbies included cooking, joking, giving insight, pouring knowledge, sharing personal stories, traveling, spending time with friends, making donations, and contributing to national service with The Mission Continues, The Wounded Warrior Project, and The National Association of American Veterans.
Prepared
Lawrence’s last days in the hospital were filled with talking to love ones about his future after recovery, retirement plans, discussing his Biography and Audiobook, telling stories of his journey, looking forward to church, and completing a research proposal to bridge African and African- American cultures. He was planning his summer visits to Austin, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and seeing his grandchildren. He was looking forward to life as a war survivor, an accomplished professor, and retiree.
He is an investor in DreamCatcherz Studios, MixMyMixtape LLC, and Angel Fire Equestrian Center. His legacy will continue through these multimedia companies and non-profit organizations by aiding the healing of war survivors as well as individuals with disabilities through utilizing music therapy. At risk-youth will be able to meditate in his legacy garden with mentors who teach the importance of having a connection to nature and animals through holistic values.
The pain that he had suffered had conferred spiritual insight, a philosophy of life revisited, an understanding and forgiveness of humanity—a quality of peace and serenity overpowered him. It was as if he were Prepared.
God’s plan prevailed, however. On Monday evening, May19, 2014, the Lord called him from labor to rest and reward in the arms of his son, Denoh-beh Grear Jr. He moved from light to dark; dark to light. He is preceded in death by his parents: Samuel D. Grear, Sayder Efther, Sally Wani Wilson, Anthony Kley Yuoh, Agnes Yancy-Yuoh. Siblings: Cecelia Grear, Peter Grear, Johnson Grear, Gbo Yuoh, Kley Yuoh, Florence Jones, and Nyene-Dio Yuoh.
Lawrence leaves to mourn in his transition from Earth to Heaven—
His wife, Julia Cooper Grear, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seven Children: Andrew Isaac (wife, Joanna), Apex, North Carolina; Ann Marie Isaac Tsewole (husband, Roosevelt), Washington, D.C.; Lawrence Denoh-Beh Grear, Jr., Boston, Massachusetts; Junisa Grear (wife, Lorraine), Bloomfield, Connecticut; Christopher Grear, Worcester, Massachusetts; Julian Grear, Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia; Chukuma Belle, Miami, Florida. Grandchildren: Grace Dehconti Grear, Samuel Junisa Grear, Mutale Marie Isaac, Kelfalah Michael Isaac, Elliana Christina Parker, Easmond H. Tsewole, Ngangneh B. Tsewole, and Bernice H. Tsewole; Biological Sisters: Nyeneplue Annie Grear, Denoh “Dee” Grear, Joyce Grear, and Sophie Grear; Biological Brothers: Sekoue James Grear and Prince Grear; Extended Sisters: Cecelia Jones-Cheatom Dwedor Marias-Ford, Gbai Yuoh, Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, Wani Yuoh, Watchen Yuoh, Maromini Yuoh, Monu Yuoh, Maimah Yuoh, Natu Yuoh, Mercy Yuoh, and, Doblady Yuoh; Extended Brothers: Wellington Jones, Blyden Yuoh, Kekula Kaikai, Sie-Dio Morgan, Hne Yuoh, Wesseh Yuoh, Tabioh Yuoh, , Gbobi Yuoh and Himie Yuoh.
Uncles, aunts—especially Frances Grear (his maternal auntie), nieces, nephews and a host of other family members and extended family; several very close friends including Reverend Magnus Scott of Langston, Oklahoma and Reverend Blaise “Bill” Bah of Edmond, Oklahoma, and Dr. Jean Bell Manning (Grandma) of Langston, Oklahoma.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalms 23:6
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