On August 13, Johnny Dwayne Lawrence, 78, of Batesville and Mount Olive, passed away. Albert Lawrence, Jr. and Mary Jo (Tootsie) Langston Lawrence had him as their firstborn child.
Dwayne pitched for his softball teams after serving as the pitcher for his baseball teams as a child. At Bethesda, he assisted in planning and coaching youth softball and baseball. He maintained a good relationship with his peers and was a proud graduate of Southside High School in 1965. From 1966 to 1972, he served in the Arkansas National Guard. After graduating, Dwayne worked for International Shoe. In the early 1970s, he started working at White Rodgers, where he retired in 2002 as a supervisor. He devoted many hours after retirement to learning more about Mt. Olive’s history and his genealogy. He was an enthusiastic hunter and bass fisherman who loved the great outdoors.
The following people survive Dwayne: his life partner, Lisa Holowell-Clayton; brothers Larry, Keith, and Kenny Lawrence; sister Mary Etta Chosewood; grandchildren Brittney Scarbrough (James) and Brady Lawrence (Candice); stepdaughter Paige Clayton; sons Shannon Lawrence (Marcia) and Jason Lawrence; and ten great-grandchildren. His parents passed away before him.
The Willis Funeral Service Chapel will host a visitation on Sunday, August 17, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Larry Sellers will preside over the funeral service, which will start at 10 AM at Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery. After that, there will be burial.
Donations to Mount Olive Presbyterian Church in Dwayne’s name are accepted in place of flowers.
