Lawrence P. Warner

Lawrence Peter Warner, age 78, died Friday, April 18, 2014 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township. He was born September 10, 1935 to the late Frank Warner and the late Ernestine (nee:Brinker) Warner.Lawrence was a proud graduate of Warren High School's Class of '54. It is there that he built upon his knowledge, forged some great and lasting friendships,…but perhaps most importantly, met a beautiful girl that would ultimately become his "High School Sweetheart." The bond they shared continued to grow long after graduation took place, and culminated in Lawrence taking that fateful leap by asking his beloved Helen to become his wife. And so it was,…on October 20, 1956 at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Warren, Lawrence watched his blushing bride make her way down the aisle, and straight into his heart, as the two exchanged their vows and those two precious words, "I do." It truly was a love meant to be as evidenced by their 58 years together and the bonds that held them close.As for Lawrence's employment, it was at Warren's Water Department that he punched the clock. But his real love was fire fighting, and he knew down deep that this was his true calling. What began as years spent answering the call through the volunteer ranks blossomed into a position he was granted with the Warren Fire Department. Meeting the responsibilities and challenges with bravery and fortitude, Lawrence worked himself through the ranks of the department to eventually become an Assistant Fire Chief, an achievement recognized in 1981.Throughout his adult life, Lawrence was the proud owner of two homes. One in Warren, which is where he raised his family and enjoyed the comforts so deserved after a long days work,…and the other one up north in Hillman, Michigan which was enjoyed throughout his retirement years. But more than simply an owner, what set both of these houses apart was the fact that he built them both with the hard-working-hands God gave him. Both houses were filled with love and their own, individual personality. But when it comes to some of the greatest family memories, there's no question that the "Hillman House" holds a myriad of moments which Grandpa was a huge and integral part. Like Matthew's recollection of riding into town with Grandpa on the ATV,…and scoring some candy in the process. Another ATV memory comes from his grandson, Kevin (more affectionately known as simply "Kev" or "Governor"), who recalls Grandpa's patience..like the day he ran the ATV head-on into a tree with Lawrence asking; "Why did you speed up to turn rather than slow down?"...all-the-while prying the grill back into place with a crow bar. Or the times that were enjoyed tubing on the lake with Grandpa manning the wheel of the boat. And when it came to the various events, especially the sporting ones, Grandpa was always the loudest & proudest supporter in the crowd. Quite notably would have to be Kev's memories from his hockey playing days. In his early youth, Grandpa was extremely in tune with Kev's techniques and game plays, and attended as many of his games as possible. After entering college at Texas A&M and becoming part of their hockey program, it remained vital to Kevin that he kept Grandpa in the loop. So being as close as they were, Kevin phoned his Grandpa after every game to share the highlights and seek more of the wisdom and guidance he'd come to count on.Then there were the memories of hangin' out in Grandpa's garage up north, piecin' together some old wood scraps and a few nails in the hopes of creating something special. And one day, his granddaughter, Carolyn did just that. With the materials she had collected and forged together, the end result was a beautiful flower made of wood and decorated with pink and yellow paint. When Lawrence saw what his granddaughter had skillfully designed, he couldn't wait to find just the perfect spot to show off Carolyn's creation,…which was a beautiful, sunny location fit for a flower. But being the person he was and realizing all that had gone into that flowers creation, that flower remained in its place the entire time the family was there. But even more special, Carolyn's flower became a staple for the yard's adornment, and was enjoyed for many more years to come. Though its colors had faded, it remained special to Grandpa's heart and never ceased to take its place each time the family ventured up north. As Carolyn shared; "If something was important to you, it quickly became important to him." And just like Lawrence's desire to find "just the right place" for a wooden flower, it's that kind of care and compassion that made this man "just about perfect" in everyone's eyes. And to her Grandpa she leaves; "I will love you unconditionally, always, in a way that only a granddaughter and grandfather can know."Lawrence was the kind of man who would try anything. With extreme determination and never-ending will power, he always gave it the old college try. His wish was to always master or tackle the task at hand, no matter the demand. He used to tell Kev; "I could stand on my head, with one hand tied behind my back, stackin' BB's, and I'd still make minced meat out of you." It was that kind of strength and integrity that found him experiencing the heights within his employment, and the pleasures within his family. Kevin reflects; Grandpa had wisdom far beyond the amount of years his schooling and I still have a hard time figuring out how he learned it all. And he did his best to pass his knowledge down to his grandchildren. I can't remember talking to him that he didn't discuss school and grades, and how things were going. I think he was a pretty proud grandfather."Lawrence was an honest and devoted husband, father and grandfather who was truly the patriarch of his family. He poured the best parts of himself into nurturing his loved ones and caring for their needs. And being the community-minded person he was, Lawrence also accumulated a number of loving friends along the way as well. Whether family or friend, he leaves behind a storehouse of wonderful memories for all to draw from who were blessed to know him and be touched by his love. He will be missed immensely and loved eternally. He was the beloved husband of Helen. Loving father of Jeff (Sandy) Warner, and Lori (David) Bott. Devoted grandfather of Carolyn (Michael), Kevin, P.J., and Matthew. Brother of Joan Drew, and Irma Jones. A Memorial Visitation will be held on Monday, April 28th 11am until the time of his Memorial Service at Noon at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 1/2 Mile) in Warren. In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated to the Warren Fire Fighters Benevolent Fund. Please share memories of Lawrence at his guest book.