Born May 26, 1903 in Gingerland on the isle of Nevis, West Indies, Lawrence left his island home to come to America as a young man, arriving in Boston in 1926. He later met and married Duley Rose James, a native of Montserrat, British West Indies. Together, they had three children — a son, Wilfred Jr., and a set of twins, Rufus and Isabelle. Rose Lawrence passed away Aug. 17, 1976.

After coming to Boston, Lawrence’s personal life flourished. He became a United States citizen and worked as a chef in Cambridge before becoming employed at the Boston and Albany Railroad, where he worked for 40 years, retiring in 1967. Following his retirement, he worked briefly as a chef at Northeastern University.

In 1951, he returned home to Gingerland to deliver a headstone to his mother’s grave. Lawrence was very proud of his heritage, and each of his many trips home left him pleased to see that Nevis had become one the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean.

On May 26, 2006, Lawrence celebrated his 103rd birthday, still in sound body and mind. He was able to instantly recall locales, names and dates of the past. Although he became frail later in the year, he still had a remarkable and refreshing zest for life, and brimmed with pride at the correspondence he had received from President George W. Bush honoring his 100th birthday, along with the many, many certificates and tributes from around the city of Boston and the Boston and Albany Railroad.

He is survived by his son Wilfred Jr., his son Rufus, his wife Trudy and his daughter Isabelle Harleston, all of Boston, as well as five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and a host of other friends and relatives.

Funeral services were held Tuesday morning at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lawrence’s name may be made to St Cyprian’s Building Fund.