Laris Lawrence (née Barnaby) was born in 1931 in the Parish of St. Anne, Jamaica, the daughter of Eric Barnaby and Darkus McKenzie. She was the second of six children, John, Laris, Fitzie, Pearline, Hazel and Sylvester.

Laris married Timothy (Jack) Lawrence in 1961; they had three children, Audrey, Vince and Clive. She moved to Canada in 1963 and became a Citizen in 1976.

She worked hard upon her arrival in Canada, overcoming many obstacles along the way. Eventually she began working as a nurse's aid at Mt. Sinai Hospital, a job in which she took great pride and met many lifelong friends. She retired in 1996.

Laris is survived by her sister Hazel, her sons Vince and Clive and her grandchildren, Shannon, Robert, Jazmine, Myles and Theodore. Laris had the fortune and great pleasure of becoming a great grandmother to Emmett.

She was a loving and sacrificing mother, who worked hard for the future of her family. She was an adoring grandmother to all her grandchildren and never missed the opportunity to hear how her family was succeeding in life, while always ready with words of encouragement when they needed to hear them the most.

Laris’ faith was a central pillar of her life. She was a devoted Christian and took peace in her knowledge that one day she would go home, you would often hear her singing hymns on Sunday morning while cooking breakfast for her family.

She will be missed dearly but never forgotten.