Michael David Lawrence

Michael David Lawrence passed away November 20, 2022, after a short illness. He was 68 years old. He is survived by his wife Vicki Lawrence, daughter Jennifer Simons and husband John, grandson Kyle Simons, brother Richard Lawrence and wife Andra, sister Julie Smith and husband Ron, sister-in-law Cynthia Labrum, brother-in-law Harry Bagby, sister-in-law Bobbi Gurule and husband Marty, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Mike was born on December 1, 1953, to George and June Lawrence, in Long Beach, California. After numerous moves, his family settled in Lakewood. While there, he became friends with the next door neighbor, Vicki Bagby, and her family. Mike and Vicki remained close friends through high school and beyond. Both nature lovers, they shared their passion for backpacking in the San Gabriel Mountains while still teenagers.
After high school, at age seventeen, Mike enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After boot camp, he was assigned to Guam as an aircraft mechanic. For Mike, Guam was an island paradise. He and several buddies soon moved off-base to the hills above Talofofo Bay. There he spent his off-duty time surfing and playing guitar. This peaceful period of his life was interrupted twice when he was sent to Vietnam: once aboard the USS Enterprise and once to Danang Air Base. On board the Enterprise, Mike was designated a "green shirt" where he helped on the flight deck in the launch and recovery of aircraft.
Toward the end of Mike's enlistment, another sailor -- a stranger -- handed him a small New Testament. He began reading it and attending Bible Study at a Christian coffee house run by the local Assemblies of God Church. It wasn't long before he made the decision to surrender his life to Christ. He kept that commitment to Christ for the rest of his life.
Mike served four years in the Navy, married Leslie Lewis, and Jennifer was born. Mike and Leslie later divorced. After a series of civilian jobs, he re-enlisted in the Navy and served for another ten years as an Aviation Electronics Technician, attaining the rank of 1st Class Petty Officer. During this time he served in Misawa, Japan, Diego Garcia (which is a small island in the British Indian Ocean Territory), and Hawaii. Mike's last duty station was the aircraft carrier USS Independence.
About twenty-five years after first meeting, Mike and Vicki reconnected. They married on March 30, 1991, and were married for thirty-one years. After living in Oregon, the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California, and Texas, they finally returned to Southern California to make their final home in Wrightwood -- in the same San Gabriel Mountains where they had backpacked as teenagers.
As a civilian, Mike's career focused on the semi-conductor industry. He became a Technical Training Manager at DNS Electronics. While there, Mike volunteered to develop and lead a safety department and built a first-class safety program from the ground up. In 2009 Mike realized his dream of owning his own business when he started Summit Safety Technologies. He hosted numerous conferences and webinars about all aspects of workplace safety and emergency preparedness.
Mike enjoyed camping, water sports, playing the guitar, and going to Disneyland. Even more than the rides, he liked meeting and talking to new people. He created the persona of "Matterhorn Mike" on a Facebook group and was often recognized and approached by total strangers because of his trademark suspenders, walking stick, and lanyard covered with Disneyland pins. His outgoing personality enabled him to make friends from all over the world. He shared his faith easily with others, as the opportunity arose.
Mike always believed in sharing his talents and abilities with others and engaged in volunteer work most of his life. He was an excellent communicator. Even as a new Christian on Guam, he worked with Teen Challenge Christian Ministry as a mentor. He later served as a Reserve Deputy with the Bingham County, Idaho, Sheriff's Office. For ten years he worked with the Red Cross as an "instructor trainer," teaching others how to become effective CPR instructors themselves. He conducted free safety audits and workplace inspections for charitable organizations that serve the disabled community. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Union Gospel Mission in Dallas, Texas.
While stationed in Hawaii, he began volunteering with the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. This organization is the Navy's youth development program, designed to instill confidence in young men and women, some with very little direction in their lives, by teaching them teamwork, discipline, and leadership skills. Some cadets also take advanced training to prepare them for both military and civilian careers. Mike was Commanding Officer and Associate Regional Director while with the Sea Cadets and his work with these young people was among the proudest and most satisfying of his life.
Mike was a kind and generous man; a man of integrity who not only "talked the talk," but also "walked the walk." He was truly one of a kind and will be missed by all who knew him.