Don Leon Lawrence ODESSA Don Lawrence August 26, 1930

Don Leon Lawrence ODESSA Don Lawrence August 26, 1930 - August 13, 2026 Don Lawrence, a talented steel guitarist, engineer, devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great - grandfather, passed away on August 13, 2026, just days before his 96th birthday. He was born on August 26, 1930. Don shared an extraordinary life and love story with his beloved wife, Johnetta Lawrence, who had been by his side since she was 23 years old. Don and Johnetta were married for 65 years, building a lifetime together filled with family, love, memories, and devotion to one another. Music was one of the great passions of Don's life. He began playing the steel guitar at just 10 years old, beginning a musical journey that would continue throughout his lifetime. A few years after high school, Don began playing on the road with Troy Jordan's "Cross J Boys" band. He later joined the "Bewley Chuck Wagon Gang" band in Fort Worth, Texas. The group performed at the State Fair in Fort Worth and made guest appearances on its own regular television show. When the band was not on the road, its members promoted Bewley's Best Flour and Anchor Feed, traveling throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and making appearances at country stores that carried the products. The musicians traveled in a specially designed bus resembling a chuck wagon. During appearances, they baked small biscuits using Bewley's Best Flour. Two band members passed the biscuits among the crowd while Don and the other musicians played music from inside the bus, which was equipped with cooking appliances and windows all around. Don eventually returned to Odessa, Texas, where he maintained an extraordinary schedule, playing in clubs seven nights a week as well as a Sunday matinee. During this same period, he enrolled in college to study engineering and science. He went on to enjoy a 28 - year career in engineering, working in the manufacturing of oil and gas production equipment. Yet no matter where his professional career took him, Don never left his music behind. He continued playing weekend engagements and spent 10 years as the staff steel guitar player at a recording studio in Odessa. Throughout his musical career, Don had the opportunity to perform with some memorable names in country music. He played a show in Big Spring with Charley Pride and performed twice with legendary Texas musician Bob Wills in Odessa, in addition to many other musical appearances over the years. Don's life brought together the two worlds he knew so well?the precision and ingenuity of engineering and the unmistakable, soulful sound of the steel guitar. From traveling the South in a chuck - wagon bus to performing in clubs, recording studios, fairs, television appearances, and weekend engagements, music remained a constant thread throughout his remarkable life. Above all, however, Don's greatest legacy is his family and the life he and Johnetta built together. He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife of 65 years, Johnetta Lawrence; his children, Lonnie Lawrence, Lynn Lawrence, Johnny Miles, and Dana Kay James; seven grandchildren; 10 great - grandchildren; and one great - great - grandchild, along with other family members, friends, fellow musicians, and all those whose lives he touched. Don Lawrence lived a long and remarkable life marked by talent, hard work, devotion to family, and a lifelong love of music. The sound of his steel guitar may have grown quiet, but the music, memories, and love he leaves behind will continue through the generations of the family he cherished.