LAWRENCE DORTON

POUND, VA -Lawrence Dorton left this world unexpectedly on November 15th, 2024. He was surrounded with love and prayer at the time of his passing by his best friend and only son, Scott and his two granddaughters, Hannah and Cara at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee. Lawrence was born on August 20th, 1942 in Pound, Virginia and lived in the very same place where he was born, for all of his 82 years here on Earth. 

   Lawrence was of the Old Regular Baptist faith and attended various Old Regular Baptist churches in the area. As anyone who knew him would attest, he was the hardest working person you would ever meet. He wasn’t happy unless he was busy doing something productive and was very active until his last day here. He worked many years in the coal mines and retired from the UMWA. You would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated and loyal union member! After retiring from the mines, he went on to operate an excavation company. Throughout his years of full-time work, he was also a cattle farmer and had various rental properties. In what little spare time he had, he loved riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, golfing, and was an avid outdoorsman. 

   Our Pap was always smiling, as soon as he laid eyes on us when we walked through the door, he lit up. Sometimes even shuffling his feet so that his cowboy boots tapped on the floor and dancing a little jig in a circle. We always felt important when we were with our Pap, he made sure of that. Even through some of our worst days together as a family, he was always so perfectly warm and would pull us into a tight hug, with our heads snuggled up under his white beard. “Don’t worry baby, Pap will fix it.” And he sure did. There was nothing that my family and I could throw at him that he wouldn’t figure out - even if it took two or three trips to the hardware store or a few late nights up under one of our sinks or in our basements, and we were all just ready to give up, Pap wasn’t going anywhere til it was done. And done RIGHT. He never had a problem checking other people’s handiwork along the way and letting them know when theirs wasn’t quite done right, too! 

   Pap took care of everyone and everything around him. There was hardly ever a day when deer or turkey or squirrels and birds weren’t standing outside his kitchen window, waiting on their favorite person to come outside with their feed and treats. He could call the cattle to him from a mile away with that big, booming voice of his, and the shrill, sharp whistles that I never could figure out how to do - but those cows of his always knew exactly who they were running towards. 

   Everyone we have spoken to this week said that my dad, my sister, and I were his pride and joy. And I don’t doubt that for a second, but they should have seen Pap with his little herd of great-grandsons! Pap never told Liam, Jackson, or Brody “no”, not even once that I can recall. He would lift them up into the bed of his truck, let them crawl all over his prized Harley Davidson motorcycle, take whatever they wanted from his kitchen cabinets (and his pockets), and get down in the floor to let them “waller” him whenever they asked. And his boys have always loved him so deeply! They adored going to Paps to go inside the huge playhouse that he built for Hannah and I when we were little. Granny kept so much stuff in there, it was always like a little cave full of hidden treasures to the boys. They were so amazed to know that their Pap built it with his own two hands. He could do anything. 

   While we are all completely devastated over this loss, we know that Pap and Granny are now united again in Heaven with no more sadness or worries and surrounded by their friends and family who passed on before them. What a sight that must have been. 

   In addition to his parents, Fritzie and Cara, Lawrence was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Deloras Ann Dorton, brother Festus Dorton, and sister, Mary Mullins. 

   His legacy, endless stories, and loving memories will be carried on by his surviving family members, including his adoring son Avery Scott Dorton - Bristol, TN, granddaughters Cara Paige Wingard and husband Kevin - Bristol, TN, Hannah Nicole Bishop and husband Aaron - Bristol, TN; great-grandchildren Liam Scott Wingard, Jackson Avery Wingard, and Brody Shey Bishop. 

   The family would also like to thank all of his many friends and family for their support after the passing of his darling wife, Deloras. Especially his breakfast buddy, Bud Kiser, and lifelong friends Roger Mullins and Don Stallard. 

   Funeral services will be held at Baker Funeral Home Chapel on Tuesday, November 19th at 2:00pm. The family will receive friends from 12:00pm until 2:00pm.

   Burial will follow at the Arvil Mullins Cemetery in Pound, VA where Liam Wingard, Danny Cantrell, Larry Cantrell, Kevin Wingard, Aaron Bishop, and Mike Sawyers will serve as pallbearers. 

   In lieu of flowers or donations, the family asks everyone to please simply take time to hug or call your parents, grandparents, children, and friends. This is much more precious than gold.