Thomas "Tom" Arthur Lawrence

January 7, 1944 - January 27, 2022

A celebration of life for Thomas Arthur Lawrence, 78, will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, February 1st at Cornerstone Funeral Home, 1830 N. York Street, Muskogee, OK with Pastor Donnie Echols officiating. Interment will follow at Three Forks Cemetery in Okay, Oklahoma with Jesse Rinck, Wyatt Hughes, Zane Lawrence, Jackson Fleetwood, Noah Fleetwood and Braiden Fleetwood serving as pallbearers. Family visitation will be held on Monday, January 31st, 6-8 p.m. in the chapel at Cornerstone Funeral Home. Tom was born on January 7th, 1944, in Neodesha, KS to Claude and Pauline Lawrence. He was raised in rural Elk City, Kansas where he grew up helping his parents and three sisters on their family farm. He attended Elk City Public Schools. In 1961, he married Judy McDiarmid (Hugo), and three children, Tommy Joe, Tonda and Kimberly were born from that union. During their early years together, Tom worked in many trades and was a self-taught welder and for a short time, he moved his family to California and worked as a welder in the Long Beach, California shipyard. After returning to Independence, Kansas, he found his true passion in the oil business and was the founder and owner of T&J Drilling and Tonda Oil Company. In the early 1980’s, Tom moved to Oklahoma and on July 5th, 1986, he married Barbara Sue Adair. With this union, he gained five additional children, Jarrett, Lorna, Jamie, Jimmy Dell, and Leroy. They were married for 35 wonderful years. It was rare to see one without the other. They were truly soulmates and their love for one another was undeniable. During their early years together, they resided in several locations, including Okay, Oklahoma and on their ranch in Elk Grove, California. Together, they founded and owned multiple businesses, including Ranger Oil and Gas, and Tommy Hawk Nursery. Tom had many titles and nicknames throughout his life, such as Son, brother, husband, Daddy, Papa Tom, Tommy Arthur, Arthur, and grandpa. He had a very large and loving family, and he was very special to all. He enjoyed being surrounded by his family, where he loved to cook meat on his smoker and feed anyone that was hungry. He loved fishing, watching sports, attending his grandchildren’s school sporting events and activities. He loved working in his shop and working with his hands. He spent many hours in his shop teaching and showing his grandkids how to build things and work on anything that might be broken. He enjoyed having a garden every year and, on the weekends, you could find him at the dirt track races. He enjoyed taking Barbara camping in their RV and loved caring for their land. He never met a stranger; he was kind to everyone. He had a very giving spirit and loved helping people. Our lives were richer, because Tom was such bright light, he shared his knowledge and his opinions, and he was known for his fun loving and sometimes ornery pestering. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Pauline Lawrence, and stepson, Jarrett Fleetwood. He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Lawrence, his son, Tommy Joe Lawrence, Independence, KS, daughter, Tonda Lawrence, Independence, KS, Kimberly (Darren) Brasiola, Sand Springs, Ok, foster daughter, Karyle (John) Nicholson, Goddard, KS, stepdaughter, Lorna (Mickey) Igert, Fort Gibson, OK, stepson, Jamie (Teresa) Fleetwood, Oklahoma City, OK, stepson, Jimmy Dell (Denise) Fleetwood, Okay, OK, stepson, Leroy (Shelly) Fleetwood, Tulsa, OK, and a combination of over fifty grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Sisters, Judy (Melvin) Thompson, Independence, KS, Barbara Matney, Fredonia, KS and Carolyn Williams, Eskridge, KS.