Lawrence Smith, 1969-2003

Lawrence Smith, born February 3, 1969, died Tuesday night while out fishing at Solomons Island with two friends. One of the two friends with him, James Oxley (of Upper Marlboro, Md., formerly of 1345 Emerald St. NE), reported that Mr. Smith had gone off to use the restroom and apparently drowned after hitting his head and falling in the water.

Mr. Smith lived with his mother, Florence Smith, and his grandmother, Henrietta Slade, at 406 13th St. NE, where he was born and raised. In addition to his mother and grandmother, he leaves behind a fiancée, Stacy Wilkins, and seven children.

The funeral will be tomorrow, at Freedom Baptist Church, 1519 U St. NW: viewing at 10 a.m., service at noon.

The following comments are from his family, friends and neighbors. If you have a comment you would like to add, please send it in.

He was the sweetest child — my only baby. That's my heart. He was kind and nice to everybody. He tried to help everybody.

What schools did he go to?

He went to Miner for pre-kindergarten, Kingsman from kindergarten to sixth grade. I remember seventh grade, he went to Browne, and then the last years he went to Eliot. Then he went to Street Academy. He went to Woodson for ninth grade.

What did he like to do?

His favorite hobby was music. He played with Northeast Confunction. He started the band when he was little boy. They had paint cans and trash cans and stuff. They used to play over here at Kingsman playground. They did the block parties around here. He played with the Polymers when he was little.

He worked a lot.

He worked seven days a week. He worked days with Precision Moving and Storage Company — he was a supervisor there. Wednesday nights, Saturday and Sunday nights he worked at Walter Reede as customer service, at the pathology building.

Did he speak about his plans?

He wanted to get another job, because he wanted to buy a home for his kids. That was his desire — to get a house. He loved his family. He would do anything he could, when he got ready [laughs]. He went to church when he could. When they changed his hours, then he stopped going. He just got baptized last year and joined my church, which is Freedom Baptist Church, on U Street [NW]. He would always be there for their anniversaries and programs; then he would go to Walter Reede after that.

What kind of food did he like?

Any kind! He loved crabs, but only when Stacy was having my grandbabies. I could always tell when I was having a grandbaby, because he would crab down all the time. I'd say, "Oh oh, Stacy's pregnant!" He loved seafood. He loved pizza — and chitlins. That's his favorite.

How was he with his grandmother?

Oh, that's each other's heart. He goes to her before he comes to me. He'd do anything for grandma. She took care of her baby. That's hers. I was the mother; grandma was the "mother mother." She let nobody bother Lawrence. "Leave him alone! He ain't did nothin'!" He was real spoiled. All of his friends been wonderful to us. We never knew how kind people could be, until my son died. My new neighbor next door — she came over with a card. When she moved in, he helped move her stuff in the house. He would help anybody. He don't like to see ladies carrying packages. Even all the fellows on the corner — they've been wonderful. You can see their love. Lawrence was born here. This is the only place he lived.

— Florence Smith, mother, 406 13th St. NE

He was a real nice person. Everybody around here knows him and loves him and misseshim. He was real popular. He'd give his friends his last penny. He was always there for his friends, when stuff happened. And he loved his kids. He had six children — three boys and three girls — and he had a foster daughter. She wasn't his real daughter, but he said she was. We always took a family trip up to Myrtle Beach. We didn't get to go this year. He loved to play the congas. He was in different bands. Him and his friends had started up a band. He loved to go to church. He went on a lot of trips with them. And he liked to go fishing, at Solomons Island. I met him through one of my friends. I've been with him for like 13 years. We was around each other every day, except when he had to work. He's gonna be really missed. He took part of my heart away, when he died.

— Stacy Wilkins, his fiancée and the mother of five of his children, 3800 block of 9th Street SE

It's gonna be rough without him. He treated me with the respect I wanted. And he gave me discipline. And he loved to look at scary movies with us. And he liked to do what's best for us. And he likes to get on roller coasters. He liked to go to amusement parks.

— Lawrence Wilkins, son, 12

He was just a standup dude. Slim been around here for since forever. He was a father — he was an uncle out here to everybody. He was just a genuine guy. Everybody around here loved him. He's the one that started the Minit Sports [clothing line] — headbands and stuff. That was him. He's gonna be missed like I don't know what. "L. Boogy." That's my man.

— Brown, friend and neighbor, 1200 block of D St. NE

I used to hold Lawrence in my arms when he was a baby. It shocked me, when I heard it. So you saw him growing up. Mmm hmm. What was he like? Kinda quiet.

— Chester W. Hunter, 1310 Emerald St. NE

When we grew up, we'd always go to the go-go — every go-go that was there. Because Lawrence was in go-go bands ever since we was growing up. And he used to play the congas — he was real good at it. And dress up and go out to the cabarets, and just have fun. He had a loving, kind heart. He had a smile that just made your day. If you was feeling down, he had a smile. He never got into any kind of altercations or any fights, unless somebody provoked him. But he was the kind of dude he would be there for you. Anything went down, and he was there — you better believe Lawrence got your back.

— James Oxley, of Upper Marlboro, Md.,

formerly of 1345 Emerald St. NE

He was a good dude, man — loved to help everybody. He took anybody anywhere, where they wanted to go. God got him in his hands now.

— Samuel Ronald Tilley Jr., 518 14th St. NE

He'd come in every evening, in my house. Just to see Pete [Samuel Ronald Tilley Jr., her grandson]. He was a very nice fellow. Always called me mom. He was very nice. I loved him.

— Ruth Robinson, 518 14th St. NE

Mr. Vaden: For me, he's truly missed. He's up there with my boy Antoine — I know he's looking down on us. Only thing that I can say is that we've just got to get our circle a little tighter now. We've got to help each other out, as well as his mother, in time of need.

Mr. Greene: He was one of a kind. Willing to help and lend a hand. He was a conga player — he loved playing conga. We know him as "L. Boogy," "Lawrence," "Bam Bam," "Receding Hair Line Lawrence," "Playboy Lawrence," "Go-Go Lawrence."

Mr. Vaden: He was always cracking on me — always told me that he wanted to be my height.

Mr. Greene: We all grew up together, man.

Mr. Vaden: One big family. Even though we're not related, he's still a brother of ours we just lost. We just have to be strong for his mother right now. It hurts. I mean, one minute, we're sitting here talking, and the next morning he's gone. Life is short.

— Ellery Vaden, 1348 Emerald St. NE,
and Greg Greene, 1350 Emerald St. NE §