Chester Lawson

Mr. Louie Chester Lawson, Sr., age 86, husband of Carolyn Wages Lawson of 1478 Mud Bridge Rd., Buffalo, SC passed away Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Chester was born in Spartanburg, SC, on September 27, 1937, a son of the late Robert E. Lawson and Jesse Cathcart Lawson of Spartanburg County.

He was a 1956 graduate of Jonesville High School and attended the University of South Carolina-Union and Wofford College. He was formerly employed with Cone Mill, Carlisle Finishing. His passion in life was driving and had started driving at a very early age. He enjoyed a long career of driving millions of miles for several long-haul trucking companies and finished his driving career by driving charter buses for Atchison Transportation and Cross Country Tours. He was an avid University of South Carolina Gamecock fan. One of his greatest joys was attending all the Carolina home games and driving the bus loaded with Carolina fans to all of the Carolina away games all over the country.  He said God is so good: I get to go to all of the games, stay in nice hotels, eat at nice restaurants and they pay me to do it.

He was very involved in community activities earlier in life, some of which were President of Union County Dixie Youth, President of the Union High School Band Aid Club, President of Foster Park PTA and was a charter member of the General States Rights Gist Camp 1451Confederate Veterans. He was formerly a member of Mon Aetna Baptist Church, West Springs Baptist Church and currently a member of First Baptist Church of Spartanburg. He had served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, choir member, bus driver and worker on many mission trips across the country and had held many other church responsibilities.

He was so proud of all his children and grands and loved having them for big family gatherings. Surviving in addition to his wife are a daughter, Pat Haney (Joey) and a son, Louie Chester Lawson, Jr. MD (Beth); grandchildren: Heather Phillips (Danny), Anthony Taylor, Matthew Taylor (Jessica), Jesse Haney (Brittany), Caroline Haney, Haley Alford (Kelly), Sydney Humphries (Bud), Cole Lawson, Danielle Meek (Owen), Joseph Harris and Jessica Harris. Great grandchildren are Hannah and James Phillips; Madelyn, Atley and Finn Alford; Oakley and Sage Humphries; Sylvie Meek; Amelia and Addison Taylor; Noah and Abby Voiselle; Kagen and Jacob Taylor; and several great great grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Lila Taylor. He was predeceased by his in-laws, Cole and Margaret Heatherly Wages; his first daughter, Sharon Virginia Lawson, an infant granddaughter; sisters: Lena Duncan, Merle Harrison and Nell Inman, and brothers: Wilson, J.D., and Herman Lawson.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, August 3, 2024 at First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, conducted by Rev. Brian Redding and Rev. David Sinclair. Visitation will be held Saturday from 2:00 until 3:00 PM at the church prior to the services.

Burial will follow at West Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. Active pallbearers will be Anthony Taylor, Matthew Taylor, Jesse Haney, Joseph Harris, Cole Lawson, Bryan Heatherly and Ralph Giles.

Memorials may be made to Alight Ministries, c/o First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, 250 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29306.

The family will be at the home of his daughter, Pat and Joey Haney, 1479 Mud Bridge Rd., Buffalo, SC 29321.