Family Pays Tribute to Lawrence J. Alonzo

Family Pays Tribute to Lawrence J. Alonzo

Lawrence J. Alonzo

Aug. 19, 1924 – Jan. 9, 2015

Dad’s Dash. Because it is the dash in the middle of being born and the day that we die that matters the most. And our Dad’s Dash was extraordinary!

He was five years old, the youngest of 10 children, when his father died and his mother, his grandmother, he and some of his siblings moved in with his oldest sister, Nellie, into their little home on Chippewa Street, along with her husband and her two children.

Being the youngest, Dad often told us how everyone spoiled him and what a temper he had. Yet, at age 7, he began working after school and during the summer, and he brought every penny home to his mother. She gave him a small allowance from what he earned.

He was a child of the Depression, and it was during those years that he learned the value of a dollar. He didn’t waste his money. He learned how to live off of little and to value what he had. He could fix anything and loved to tinker with engines, especially his Snapper lawnmower. He took care of all his tools and his car and little red truck.

Daddy graduated from Istrouma High School in 1941, and joined the Navy when WWII broke out. He was a 2nd class Petty Officer on the Ticonderoga aircraft carrier. He learned how to swim, when they threw him off the ship. They called him “Little Bit” because he weighed 130 pounds soaking wet. He was stationed in Australia when his unit was ordered to move out to the Phillipines. He was left behind because he had to have his tonsils removed. When he recovered, he was assigned to bring two sailors to meet their unit in the Phillipines. He wrote about this adventure in great detail. He traveled thousands of miles across the vast Pacific Ocean on a freighter with these two sailors carrying all of his records and the two sailors. The ship dropped him off on a small island and somehow he got a small boat to take them to another island. No one in the entire Navy knew of his mission, except the warrant officer and him. He told us he never doubted that he would reconnect with his old unit. Many weeks later, his commanding officer were surprised to see “Little Bit” and his two comrades. Before cell phones and computers, he managed to find his unit. He was only 19 years old!

Daddy met our mother in 1946, after the War, when he was introduced to her by her best friend, Nat Couvillion. Mom’s parents weren’t too sure of this Baton Rouge boy wanting to marry their daughter. When it didn’t appear that they would accept him, he respectfully told them, Mr. and Mrs. Lemoine, “I love your daughter and she loves me and I am going to marry her.” Six months later, they were married and he became another son to them.

He was direct like that. One never had to doubt how he felt or what he believed. All who knew him knew that about him. His word was his bond. His Alonzo name was the most important fact about him. He often told us, “Never disgrace the Alonzo family name. Stand up for what you believe, do the job, get it done. Nothing is impossible if you believe it.” He had an incredible work ethic. He never left a job undone and expected that of others too. He walked what he talked. We knew we could trust Dad, and others knew that about him too.

Dad began working at Stauffer Chemical plant and quickly realized that with his growing family he had to further his education in order to move up in the company. He began taking correspondence courses and going to school at night, made a lab in our outside work room, and studied after work. Six years later, he earned a chemical engineer associates degree. He was made head of production. He retired during his 60’s but the plant quickly unretired him, and he worked for many years charting the plant on a computer program and serving as a consultant. He mentored many younger men along the way. Some of you are here today.

Daddy once told us that the best way to love your children is to love their mother, and daddy did that so well. Our mother was the love of his life, and my brothers and I experienced the security of that love always.

Daddy had a deep faith and prayed on his knees every night, read his Bible, studied God’s Word, and encouraged us all to do the same. As the years passed and his family grew, his prayer list grew.  He prayed for us all and would often go to sleep praying.

He marked on his calendar every birthday of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, special nieces and nephews, and other family. He loved birthdays, and sharing holidays with family.

Daddy believed in family. That’s the way he was reared. Family helps family. We were always encouraged to be there for one another.

Probably the best way to show the character of the man our father was is to hear some of his own words to us in a letter he wrote for us to read after he was gone:

“Family has a high priority. Helping one another in need never ends until that need is satisfied and no longer a problem. This is to be whether it is directly in your family or the family of your siblings. Family “virtue”, not ‘value’ is the governing factor. So often “value” is used as the acceptable term. Value is a number agreed as being acceptable, while virtue is doing what is morally right.

“Your mother and I want you to know that we love you very much. We have been blessed by God to see how well all of you have enriched our lives. You are our greatest treasure. We have lived to see grandchildren grow up and start careers in their lives. They share these moments with us. Some have married and blessed us with great grandchildren. All of this is the treasured legacy that we leave you to share with one another. Keep this growing in your heart and follow the tradition by always being aware and united together with each other. Nothing would please us more than knowing that the seed we planted in your hearts to care and love one another grows and continues to grow always and always, forever and ever.“

Daddy once told us that he didn’t think he could be a good daddy because he never had one.  But Daddy, you were the perfect dad for me, Denny, Robin and Kevin. God blessed us with you and mom to be our parents.

Rest well, Daddy. We will see you again.

We love you, Daddy… always and always, forever and forever….

—Submitted by

Roxanne Alonzo Atkinson

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