The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Aberdeenshire former garage owner Norman Lawrence
A stalwart character with a larger-thanlife personality, who sold thousands of cars across the north-east of Scotland, has died at the age of 99.
Just months short of his 100th birthday, Norman Lawrence, the redoubtable figure who launched Lawrence of Kemnay, was still driving round the region.
However, after suffering a stroke, he never got back behind the wheel.
Mr Lawrence’s daughter, Helen Crighton, spoke of his tireless competitive spirit and marvelled at how he worked so hard for his family.
She said: “Even the day before his stroke, he was out on the golf course practising – nothing would stop him from playing golf twice a week.
“I remember when he started the garage, he would often work through the night, fixing one of the area’s many delivery vans – he worked very hard to build up his reputation.”
As a farmer’s son from Mintlaw, Mr Lawrence served his country after being called up to fight during the Second World War.
Recruited at the age of 21, he saw action at Dunkirk and the battle of El Alamein in 1942.
Upon returning to civilian life, he married Peggy in 1946 after they met at a school reunion.
Mrs Lawrence died in 2006, but the couple spent 60 happy years together and were blessed by the birth of daughter Helen, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
In 1953, Mr Lawrence started up Lawrence of Kemnay after his interest in mechanics was developed during his time in the army, where he had received full training.
He built up the garage and filling station within the village and expanded to start selling cars in 1962, taking on the sales dealership for Vauxhall.
Mr Lawrence often won the sales competitions and the resulting exotic holidays that came as prizes. He and Peggy travelled all over the world, including to Canada, Hawaii, Jamaica and Hong Kong.
After retiring in 1989 and handing over the company to Helen and her husband Ian Crighton, Mr Lawrence enjoyed golf and bowls.
However, after listening to a radio phone-in about elderly drivers, Mr Lawrence signed himself up for the advanced driving test – which he passed with “flying colours” at the age of 95.
This made him the oldest person in Britain to have sat and passed the test.
He returned to Dunkirk in 2004 and visited some of the memorials in the area where he had been based.
“We have had so many cards and wellwishers,” said Mrs Crighton. “Everyone has such good memories of my dad. He was a real character. People recognised him wherever he went. He did have big plans for his 100th birthday – he really loved a party.”