Lawrence Edward Pope

KERNERSVILLE - Lawrence Edward Pope, 79, was born on July 19, 1931 to the late Hugh Aaron Pope and Sylvia Fulp Pope and passed from this earth to be with his Maker on Wednesday morning, December 29, 2010. He was born and lived in the Sedge Garden community of Kernersville for most of his life and was a lifelong member of Sedge Garden United Methodist Church. He was raised on a tobacco farm and joined American Tobacco Company as a young adult. He married the late Frances Etta Lea Williard Pope, and they had two children, Scott Lawrence Pope and Amy Catherine Pope Stinnett. Lawrence is survived by his son, Scott, and daughter, Amy (husband, Mike); a sister, Jo Ann Pope Sides, (husband Pete); four grandchildren, Aaron Lawrence Pope, Kathryn Lea Pope, Emilea Catherine Stinnett and Clayton Hugh Stinnett; and longtime friend & companion, Debbie Cook. Lawrence became an entrepreneur at a very young age, earning money by scraping snow from neighbors' driveways, typing papers for his classmates and many other ways. Upon graduating from Sedge Garden High School, Lawrence turned down a college basketball scholarship to start his business career with American Tobacco Company. During this time, he saw a need for trucking and started his own business by moving tobacco at night from warehouses to processing plants while still holding his day job as a buyer for American. Lawrence had a work ethic that was an example for all of those around him, often working 10 to 12 hours a day, six days a week! In the late 1960's, he began building houses and was soon building 100 homes per year in the Kernersville area. By the early 1970's, Pope Companies had expanded to include a real estate division employing around 30 agents, a construction company employing over 60 people, a building supply business (Builders Mart, Inc.) employing over 50 people, and that was just the beginning. In addition, Lawrence operated Taylors Tobacco Warehouse, a tobacco auction warehouse in Winston-Salem, and those operations eventually spread to Kentucky, eastern North Carolina and Kernersville, evolving into what is today the largest farm tobacco receiving operation in the United States. With the housing downturn in the early 1980's, Lawrence ventured into the construction of industrial buildings, primarily for leasing, starting with the South Park Business Center in Kernersville. Today, Pope Companies leases 5.5 million square feet of space in five states. Throw into the mix some town homes, apartments, mobile home parks and a trucking company, and you'll see how Lawrence maximized the gifts and talents with which he was so blessed. Mr. Pope believed in the people and future of Kernersville and worked diligently throughout his lifetime for the betterment of each. Not only has Pope Companies employed many people in Kernersville over the years, their presence has also brought many other businesses to the Kernersville, thereby greatly increased the employment opportunities here. Three years ago when the land was being assembled for the Kernersville hospital, he called a meeting every morning for six months to make sure everything was on track to ensure that Kernersville would have a hospital. In so many ways, Lawrence has been instrumental in helping Kernersville grow into a premier town to live and work in the Triad. Lawrence recently received the first Lifetime Economic Development Award given by the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce. Lawrence was a visionary who had the ability to see future business trends and act on that insight to promote economic development and address community needs. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 31, 2010 at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church with Rev. Patricia Lewis officiating. The family will receive friends following the service in the church Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103; Shepherd's Center, P. O. Box 2044, Kernersville, NC 27285 or Sedge Garden United Methodist Church, 794 Sedge Garden Road, Kernersville, NC 27284. Hayworth-Miller Kernersville Chapel is assisting the Pope Family. Online condolences may be made to www.hayworth-miller.com

Cemetery:
Sedge Garden United Methodist Church Cemetery

Visitation:
12:15pm - 12:00am on December 31, 2010 at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church

Service:
Service at 11:00am on December 31, 2010 at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church