Andy Lawrence

Chester Andrew Lawrence
“Andy”
January 14, 1940 – July 31, 2023

Andy Lawrence passed away at age 83 on July 31, 2023, at IU Health North Hospital after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife Sarah, his children Jennifer Lawrence (Jama Pryor) and John (Jill) Lawrence, his grandson Parker Lawrence, and a sister Bette Hoecker. Andy is preceded in death by his parents Chester and Elizabeth (Petrowski) Lawrence, and a sister Gerry Lucas.

Andy was born in 1940 in Chicago, Illinois. His childhood was spent in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near southwest side of the city, home to many Lithuanian families and close to what was known then as Comiskey Park, where the Chicago White Sox played. He graduated from Rich Township High School and later attended Northwestern University and then University of Illinois, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He served in the United States Army from 1963 to 1965. Andy married his wife Sarah on July 15, 1967.

In the late 1960s, Andy started his career in banking as an examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Detroit Branch. In the early seventies, he worked as a commercial loan officer in the Chicago area. In 1976, he was named president of the Ottawa National Bank in Ottawa, Illinois. In 1981, he moved his family back to the Chicago area and he served as president of various banks there. In 2000, Andy and Sarah moved to Florida, and Andy became president of the Marine Bank and Trust in Vero Beach, Florida before retiring in 2010 at the age of 70.

Despite having a demanding career, Andy was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. When the family lived in Ottawa, Andy was drafted as all-time pitcher for neighborhood kickball games. He attended more than his share of track meets, soccer games, gymnastics meets, school plays, and concerts. He loved having meals with family, telling stories, and laughing. Among the many family traditions he established is the practice of requesting Lithuanian dumplings (now a favorite of all Lawrences) for one’s birthday meal.

In 1980, following a doctor’s advice to get more exercise, Andy took up running. It soon became a passion, and he started training for marathons and eventually earned the nickname “Pfingsten Pflash” at family dinners (a reference to Pfingsten Road in Northbrook). Andy logged thousands of miles a year, faithfully recording his mileage in training logs. At one point he calculated that he had run around the world at least three times during his 30+ year career as a runner. Some of his favorite races were the Boston Marathon, Grandma’s Marathon, and the Park Forest Scenic Ten. Even after retiring from running late in life, he remained faithful to a regular walking practice throughout the rest of his life. Andy was also an avid golfer and played recently at the Golf Club of Indiana with friends from Hoosier Village.

Andy and Sarah moved to Hoosier Village in 2019. They have been active members of Cornerstone Lutheran Church for more than ten years. They have traveled the world with family and friends.