
Johnny Lawrence Memorial Rain Garden
Johnny Lawrence loved Auburn. He loved his community. And more than anything, he loved his wife, Maggie, and daughter, Julia.
He graduated from Auburn in 1990 with a degree in public administration and was well known throughout the area for his service to others and his roles as a firefighter, photographer, volunteer and county commissioner. Lawrence died in 2020 after a battle with COVID-19. His Auburn story details a life well lived with far-reaching influence throughout the region.
“Johnny believed in living every moment and not putting things off,” Maggie Lawrence said. “I’m more of a planner so some of his ideas would catch me off guard. But for him, it was natural. He was just very much about living life large and pursuing dreams.”
In the Beginning
Young broadcast journalist Maggie Crowder had no idea how her life would change when she set out to interview Auburn’s fire chief in 1985. Prior to the interview, firefighter Johnny Lawrence offered to carry her equipment. She declined his offer.
“In 1985, camera equipment was a lot bigger and heavier than it is now,” she said. “Even still, I told him, ‘No, thanks. I’m not letting you carry my $40,000 camera.’”
She also declined his two subsequent requests to have dinner with him. It was his third request that won her over and the rest is history — a history she treasures. They would’ve celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary the year he died.
Through photos, news clippings and memories she holds dear, Maggie Lawrence shares her favorites — like the story of him manning the grill at the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center (KPNC) during the long-running S’more Fun with Mom event.
Written by Sheryl Caldwell