Lawrence Elledge, 70, of Wilkesboro told his last corny joke and wild tale on January 31, 2023.

Lawrence was born April 14, 1952, to Joe and Betty Elledge. He lived his life by his own personal trifecta of family, fun, and faith. He is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Esther; his children Laura and Adam (Tabitha); his mother Betty; his brothers Steve and David (Pat); his grandchildren Eddie (Sarah), Amelia, and Deacon; nieces and nephews; too many cousins to count; and enough friends to likely earn entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.

He was proud to have raised children that shared his affection for science fiction, but slightly disappointed that they didn’t appreciate bluegrass music more. Lawrence’s favorite title was Pappy, and he never missed an opportunity to attend a concert, sporting event, or robotics competition in which his grandchildren were involved. Lawrence was a car aficionado, avid reader, scholar of the world, lover of cookies, technology tinkerer, breakfast chef, riveting storyteller, and the unequivocal Jeopardy champion of his home. His hobbies included collecting crazy socks, reading his paramedic books for fun (yes, you read that correctly), teaching classes at church, studying the Bible, lamenting the evils of Daylight Savings Time, passing out condiment packets to unsuspecting children on Halloween, and avoiding Target like the plague. What he lacked in spelling prowess, he more than made up for in useless trivia knowledge. Lawrence was, without a doubt, the smartest and wisest man his family knew. He set the gold standard for integrity, humility, irreverent humor, and faith.

Lawrence loved his church, Fairplains Baptist, where he served in many roles through his life including deacon and Sunday School teacher. It was his honor to serve Christ whether praying for friends, visiting families, making others laugh, singing in the choir, or weaving the character of a black rat with red, beady eyes into every child’s Sunday School lesson.

Service was a common theme in Lawrence’s life. He loved sharing stories from his time in the Wilkes Rescue Squad, in the ambulance service, and his many years in the automobile business. Whether changing oil, selling a car, stabilizing a broken ankle, or performing CPR, Lawrence approached others with honesty, compassion, intelligence, and a disdain for the color pink. He was insistent that upon his death he would have his body donated so medical research could be advanced and he could continue to help others after death. He will be missed more than words could capture.