Laguna celebrated the generous spirit and the birthday of Harry Lawrence Harry Lawrence on Thursday at Main Beach Park.
Lawrence is a businessman, an arts supporter, patriot, patron of the arts, a world traveler and a volunteer of extraordinary breadth.
His fingerprints are all over the town’s most cherished institutions — the Chamber of Commerce, the Laguna Art Museum, the Laguna Playhouse and the Festival of Arts, on which boards he served.
He was a founding member of the Beatification Council, served on the forerunner of the city’s Arts Commission and has been a member of the Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. since 1948.
He was involved in the construction of South Coast Hospital, paid for by donations and grants; and in the city’s acquisition of his beloved “Window to the Sea” where folks gathered to wish him a happy 96th birthday.
About 100 folks attended the party.
There would have been more — a lot of people showed up at 1 p.m., due to a mistake in the information given to the local press. The party actually started at 5 p.m.
Lawrence’s wife, Zahide, provided the catered food and the cake with a picture of Main Beach Park in icing.
Candles were limited to the number 96; otherwise the Fire Department would have to have been put on standby.
Lawrence has been honored for his contributions to the city by the chamber in 2001 as the Person of the Year.
The annual award was subsequently named for him. The Exchange Club bestowed the Book of Golden Deeds on him and he is a recipient of Rotary’s Paul David Fellowship.
The Patriots Day Parade named him Patriot of the Year in 1981 — he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II — and Parade Marshal in 2008.
The City Council named Oct. 1, 2008, as Harry Lawrence Day to recognize his outstanding contributions to the city. Elected officials from President George W. Bush to the City Council joined in the tribute.
American Legion Post Commander Dave Connell asked all the veterans in the room to stand and salute their comrade.
Lawrence was speechless — a rare occasion. He has more stories to tell than there is time to tell them.
The tribute was organized by the Chamber of Commerce, of which Lawrence has been a member from almost the day he and his late first wife, Maxine, bought Warren Imports in 1947.
