Anne Lawrence

Anna "Anne" Swain Lawrence, 85, died on January 27, 2013 at Rosewood at The Cypress of Raleigh. She was born March 15, 1927 in Norfolk, Virginia to Fred B. and Susie (Davenport) Swain. After graduating from Kempsville High School in 1944, Anne came to Greensboro, North Carolina to attend Womans College, from which she graduated with a degree in secretarial administration. Following graduation she worked in Raleigh at Meredith College. During her college years, Anne was active in Baptist Student Union, and it was through BSU that she met the love of her life, John Lawrence. Anne and John were married in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 10, 1950. Although Anne and John resided in Atlanta, Georgia for nearly forty years, they returned to Raleigh in 2004 to live closer to their daughter. Anne was a devout Christian, a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and a long time supporter of Baptist Missions. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, gardening, traveling and volunteering at her church. She volunteered with ESL programs and refugee resettlement programs, and was active with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship from its inception. Before moving back to Raleigh, Anne was also very active with Atlanta H.E.A.L. Following John's retirement, Anne and John were able to travel, and besides many road trips in the United States, they also enjoyed going on cruises to different parts of the world. Anne enjoyed sampling the cuisine of every country, and had fond memories of not only sights, but also tastes from the countries they visited. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, John L. Lawrence, Raleigh; daughter Carol L. Vidales (Carlos), Raleigh; son-in-law Danny Dansby of Dallas, TX; grandchildren, Carlos Vidales (Angelique) of Boise, ID, Johanna Hinkle (Christopher) of Dallas, TX, Laura (Nan) Gao of Los Altos, CA, Amie Dansby, David Dansby, Ryan Dansby, all of Dallas, TX; and four great-grandchildren, Zelia, Siobhán, Paul and Evie. She was preceded in death by her parents and daughter, Linda L. Dansby. A memorial service and celebration of Anne's life will be on Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 1:30 pm at Greystone Baptist Church, 7905 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh, NC. A private burial will take place at Raleigh Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Greystone Baptist Church memory fund, or the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions, 2930 Flowers Road South Suite 133, Atlanta, GA 30341. The family wishes to thank the staff at the Rosewood, whose excellent care, love and compassion for Anne has meant so much to us these past four years.

Anne Lawrence

March 15, 1927 - January 27, 2013