Lawrence Bruner Shuping Jr.

Lawrence lived life to the fullest. He was best known for his love of laughter, dry, sometimes politically incorrect sense of humor. He loved to tell a joke and make others laugh. He was an excellent cook and reveled in the whole process from shopping to prepping enough to feed all of his family and friends. Lawrence had a ferocious appetite for reading. He would devour a book each day and often read the same book several times.

Not only did he indulge in his wife’s collections of all things beautiful, he had his own collection of anything related to his favorite animal, the sheep.

Lawrence began his high school education at Broughton, but finished at Admiral Farragut Academy, St. Petersburg, Fl. For a brief time, he attended UNC at Chapel Hill but graduated from Parsons College, Fairfield Iowa with a BA. Lawrence went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma. Upon return to Raleigh he was initially in private law practice for five years. Over the next 20 years, he served as Deputy Commissioner of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He then became a Worker’s Compensation Mediator for 20 years.

During his time in private practice, he met the love of his life, Jean Lanier Leggett. They were married at Christ Episcopal Church, Elizabeth City, NC on August 21, 1976.

Lawrence was a member of Christ Church, the Wake County Bar Association, the Kiwanis Club, the Sphinx Club, Carolina Country Club and the 2500 Club.

He is predeceased by his wife Jean.

He is survived by his son, Alexander Lanier Shuping, his partner Sara, of Raleigh; his step-daughter, Jean Derbyshire Dada and husband Aleem; step-daughter Elizabeth Weeks Evans of Nags Head; he is also survived by his grandchildren, Hayes Collier Derbyshire, Lanier Leggett Derbyshire, Anna Belle Hughes Derbyshire, all of Raleigh, Isabella Leggett Strickland of Austin, TX and Graham Banks Evans of Nags Head. Also surviving are his sister-in-law, Virgilia Leggett Church and husband Thomas Clayton Church, Jr. of Henderson, NC; niece Virgilia Church Nichols and husband, Stephen of Manteo, NC.; nephew, John Thomas Church and wife, Nancy Paynter of Raleigh: and great nieces, Lucy Downing Church and Anna Leggett Payne Church, all of Raleigh, NC.

A graveside service will be held at Oakwood Cemetery on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boys & Girls Club of Wake County or The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

Services provided by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh.