John Damon Lawrence

John Damon Lawrence, age 92, passed away Saturday, March 19, 2022, surrounded by his family. John Damon, known to many as “Damon”, was born in Bartow on January 30, 1930. He married his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Howell Lawrence, in 1950. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, farmer and a natural born storyteller. Damon was a Korean War Veteran where he served as First Lieutenant in the US Army from 1952 to 1954. Upon returning to Bartow, he began a long career in the phosphate industry, retiring from Royster Fertilizer after 33 years of service as Manager of Administration. After retirement, he remained active working in his citrus grove which he later converted into a strawberry farm. He spent a lifetime actively involved in the community of Bartow and Polk County serving in numerous roles. He was instrumental in unifying the Bartow, Winter Haven, and Lakeland United Ways. He served as President of the Bartow Red Cross, President of the Phosphate Area Safety Council, President of Central Florida Personnel Association and President of the Bartow Chamber of Commerce. Damon chaired the Committee of 100 for five years. He was instrumental in bringing AMETEK (US Gauge) to Bartow and in establishing the Florida Institute of Phosphate Research. He served on the Board for the Florida Sheriff’s Girls Villa and was Chairman of the Girls Villas Golf Classic for 3 years. He was a member of Florida Sheriff’s Association for 27 years. Damon served as Chairman of the Board for Bartow Memorial Hospital for 6 years and was an original signer of the Hospital Foundation Charter. He served on the City of Bartow Civil Service Board for 20 years. He has been a member of the Bartow Rotary Club for over 60 years. Damon served as Rotary President in 1973, was a Paul Harris Fellow, and was awarded the Rotary Medal of Honor in 2021. Working under a Rotary foundation project, he made two trips to Haiti to help build a medical clinic there. He played a leading role in establishing Bartow Rotary’s Wild Game Dinner over 30 years ago and remained an active participant and contributor to that event until just a few years ago. Damon was a member of the Bartow Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. He was preceded in death by his wife Eleanor Howell Lawrence. He is survived by two daughters, Marian Osborne, and Janet Harrison (Wayne), and a son, Damon Scott Lawrence (Teri), all of Bartow; six grandchildren, John Lawrence Osborne (Misty), Scott Sjoblom (Jennifer), Charles Sjoblom, Dan Sjoblom, Damon Edgar Lawrence (Bernadette) and Virginia Lawrence (Kayla); and seven great grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 10:00 to 11:00 am Friday, March 25, 2022, at the Bartow Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Funeral service will follow at 11:00 am at the Church. Interment will be held at Wildwood Cemetery in Bartow. Contributions may be made to the Bartow Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the United Way of Central Florida, or the Bartow Rotary Foundation.