Barry Lawrence, 58: Former WPBA cameraman
Barry Lawrence was usually behind the camera when it came to family gatherings and church events.
For him, that was home, the place he liked to be -- getting the best angles, framing the perfect shot.
"He liked being behind the lens to replicate what was going on," said his daughter, Qiana Lawrence of Atlanta. "As a child, he would try to teach me all types of stuff about photography and filming, and he was always interested in the story."
Mr. Lawrence put that interest to use as a cameraman in a 17-year stint with WPBA-TV, where he shot feature stories and documentaries. Elsewhere, he could be found at Ben Hill United Methodist Church shooting video or helping out as part of the Atlanta church's communications ministry.
"He spent a lot of time mentoring young folks, teaching them how to work with cameras and videos," said his brother, Harold Lawrence of Atlanta. "In the '70s, he was into the black-and-white thing because he thought those type photos captured images better. He took pictures of our relatives you wouldn't believe. He was an artist."
Barry Lawrence of Atlanta died of heart failure on May 7 at Vista Hospice. He was 58. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ben Hill United Methodist Church. Murray Brothers, Cascade Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lawrence was born in Buckhead, a community east of Atlanta, but moved to the city with his parents when he was a toddler. In 1969, the honors student graduated from Washington High School, where he played trombone in the band alongside his brother Harold.
As a child, Mr. Lawrence collected comic books that he read religiously. Sometimes that got the chess player in trouble.
"His parents would be looking for him to do [a chore] and he'd be in a corner reading comic books," his daughter said.
Mr. Lawrence was the first person in his family to attend college. He received an academic scholarship to attend Jonas A. Clark University in Worcester, Mass., where he earned a bachelor's degree in broadcasting. He received a master's in the same subject from Boston University, and afterward returned to Atlanta to work at Minolta repairing and rebuilding 35mm cameras.
Recently, Mr. Lawrence had worked in facilities maintenance for Atlanta Public Schools until he suffered a heart attack in mid-October. He had quadruple bypass surgery in January.
Additional survivors include his wife, Sheron Lawrence of Atlanta; a son, Michael Phillips of Elk Grove, Calif.; parents, Waymon and Dorothy Lawrence of Atlanta; and four sisters, Johnnie Ross, Rena Ehigiamusoe and Deborah Lawrence, all of Atlanta, and Robyn Champion of Hapeville.
