Myra Adina Lawrence Rock

Myra was our first Arthur/ Brathwaite family reunion hostess outside of New York City. She hosted with her husband Ancil and their daughter Venecia Rock White in our first family reunion in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 26 to 28, 1994. So when we celebrate our second Charlotte family reunion in August 2018, it will be almost twenty-five years of positive growth. We want to delicate our 2018 reunion to four important women who raised our present beautiful and industrious family. Let’s celebrate the gallant and courage lives of Elmina Brathwaite Lawrence, Rita Loretta Tyrell Graves, Patricia Wiltshire Lawrence along with Myra Lawrence Rock.

Myra Adina Lawrence Rock was born on the island of Barbados, April 7, 1948 to Rev. Dermott K. and Elmina Brathwaite Lawrence. She was their fourth child of seven children and oldest daughter.

Myra grew up and was well educated in private schools in Barbados and immigrated at age twenty to Brooklyn, New York in 1968. She lived with her oldest brother Malcolm before moving on her own. Originally employed by B. Altman's in New York City for several years, she went to work for Royal Insurance where she met and later married Ancil Rock. Their only offspring was the beautiful daughter, Venecia, who was a senior at UNC Chapel Hill. In 1986, Mrs. Rock relocated along with her family to Charlotte, NC where she became a member of the South Tryon Presbyterian Church. She was active in her church serving on the Worship and Music Committee, the Project 2000 Committee, along with her husband, singing in the Chancel Choir, and at the time of her death, actively serving as a deacon. She was also a faithful member of the Tuesday Morning Bible Class.

Mrs. Rock enjoyed making floral arrangements, sewing, and reading. She was a servant with the gift of helps who was never too busy to lend a hand cleaning the kitchen, arranging chairs, or doing double duty on Sundays collecting and counting offerings. Mrs. Myra Adina Lawrence Rock departed in life on Saturday, December 16, 2000.

If Myra lived today beyond her young 52 years of life, she will be able to witness her daughter Venecia marriage to Lucius White, Jr. She would embrace her darling granddaughter, Sydney. Only her memory exists today. Myra was one of our original force of love in our earlier Arthur/ Brathwaite family reunion history. She will never be forgotten. It is up us to help Sidney know of her maternal grandmother greatness to inspire the greatness in Sidney’s young potential life.