Obituary of Ralph E. Lawrence

Ralph Ervin Lawrence, Jr., 72, of Fairfax, Virginia passed away peacefully on February 27, 2012, surrounded by his family. He was born on January 7, 1940 in Oakland, California to the late Ralph and Margaret (Anderson) Lawrence. The oldest of two siblings, he grew up in the Sacramento area. He graduated from C.K. McClatchy High School where he was a standout pitcher on the school’s championship baseball team. His class of 1958 was featured in Parade Magazine as the quintessential “Grease” generation. He attended the University of Idaho on an athletic scholarship and completed his college education at Sacramento State University. He married Katherine Elaine Arnfield on June 14, 1964. Together, they had two children. Ralph served as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1969 until his retirement in 1995. He had stints in Texas and Arizona before settling down in Northern Virginia in 1975. He ran his own private security business later in life. Ralph was a devoted “family man”, and his favorite pastimes included vacations to the Outer Banks, fishing and spending time with his grandchildren. He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Katherine Lawrence; a son, Scott Lawrence of North Carolina; a daughter, Wendy Baker of North Carolina; a sister Gale Lawrence Krum of Washington; five grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service and reception will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 11:00 am at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 8304 Old Keene Mill Rd., West Springfield, VA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to Capital Caring Hospice Services, 2900 Telestar Ct, Falls Church, VA 22042.