Lawrence Strickland

On Tuesday, September 20, 2022, Lawrence Andrew Strickland, loving partner, and father of two passed away at age eighty-one. An avid learner, Lawrence earned a bachelor's degree in music and a master's in counseling. He spent thirty years as an air conditioning & refrigeration engineer and ten years as a math teacher for the NYC board of education. He was the first black bassist to play in the New Jersey Symphony under Henry Lewis and the third generation off the reservation from the Cherokee nation. Lawrence was an educator at heart. He was kind and softly spoken and always had time to answer a question and solve a problem, no matter how big or small. He was best known for sharing information and fierce determination to teach young black children the power of education and knowledge to assist them in changing their journey in life. His loved ones and friends will dearly miss him. He is survived by his wife Justine Strickland and their daughters, Fela Smith and her husband Ty Smith; Dara Solomon and her husband James Solomon; and his grandchildren Tony Smith, Kyle Strickland, Niaya Solomon, and Kaliyah Solomon. His brother Nathaniel Strickland, his wife Rosetta Strickland, and many nieces and nephews he loved dearly. He is preceded by his sister Elaine Grier and parents, James Roy Strickland Jr. and Venetia Rebecca Martin. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Lawrence's life.