Biography: John Edward Lawyer was born to the late Moses Lawyer and Mary “CC” Lawson Lawyer, on February 14, 1938. Affectionately known to many as “BJ”, he was born and raised in Summerton, South Carolina in a loving Christian home.
 
John attended school in the Clarendon County public school system, in Summerton, South Carolina. At an early age, he accepted Christ as his personal savior and became a member of St. Phillip RUME Church in Pinewood, South Carolina. When he moved to New York, he continued to serve the Lord and became a member of The Greater Refuge Temple in Harlem, New York.
 
On August 22, 1962, John married the love of his life Eliza Nelson. Soon after, they moved to New York City and their union was blessed with two loving daughters; Linda Lawyer of Bronx, New York and Karen Lawyer of Manhattan, New York.
 
John was employed at Supro Supply Company and retired in June 2000. His favorite pass time was watching Western movies, baseball, and attending his community senior center. When John was a teenager, he was offered the opportunity to play baseball for the Negro League because of his special gift as a left-handed pitcher.
 
John was a loving and caring husband, father, and friend.  His affection showed as he enjoyed making up jokes and sharing them with those he loved. With this gift, he kept the spirits of love and laughter throughout the house.  John enjoyed giving the people he loved nicknames, too.  As a term of endearment, you felt the love as you received your nickname from John.
 
John departed this life on Friday, March 15, 2019 at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. He was preceded in death by his step-son Johnnie Lee and siblings (Lizzie, Rachel, Lutenia, Rebecca, Thomas, and Amos).

John leaves to cherish his memory: his devoted, loving, and caring wife Eliza Lawyer and two daughters Linda and Karen Lawyer, his grandchildren Darilyn Doward and Marquise Patterson; two great-grandchildren Jada and Peter all of New York City; sister Esther Madison of Summerton, South Carolina; sisters-in-law Alberta Ragin, Alice Gibson, Laurena Thompson all of Summerton, South Carolina and Josephine Holliday, Sumter, South Carolina; brothers-in-law Elijah (Ellenora) Nelson, Bronx, New York and Johnnie McKnight, Pinewood, South Carolina.  and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
 
As we gather here today to pay tribute to our beloved John, let us remember and hold in memory and cherish those moments that each of us shared, with our departed love one.