Stan Lambert

I"ve known Don since we were youngsters, growing up on the ACC "hill", in elementary school (Taylor) and we also went to church together at College CoC.  Don was 2 years older, so when I was a sophomore and Don was a Senior, I was lucky enough that Coach Blackie Blackburn let me "suit up" with the varsity baseball team which included Robert Hill, Cliff Thomas, Mike Walsh, William Robinson and of course, Don Lawson.  Don was our second baseman, and a good one at that!  We took many bus trips to Odessa, Midland, Big Spring, and San Angelo to play district games.  Don was usually in the middle of all the laughter and fun we had on those bus rides.  He could take a joke, and give out a few as well.  He was given a lot of grief during his senior year when he started dating a girl who lived in Potosi.  Robert Hill and William Robinson were the ones who gave Don the most "grief"about that!

Don was smart, and always in a good humor.  Although we lost contact with each other after college (we both went to ACC/ACU), I got to see Don when his father (Shorty Lawson) passed away and the funeral was held at the University Church of Christ several years ago.  We enjoyed seeing each other again, but we know we will meet again for eternity!

May God bless Don's family; sending prayers for comfort and peace.

Stan Lambert, AHS Class of 1971

I hope it's ok for me to post something here even though I was a couple years behind you and graduated in 1971. As a sophomore when all of you were seniors, I can honestly say that we (almost the entire sophomore class) looked up to the seniors with "awe and admiration"!! You were our heroes and we wanted to "be like you" in almost every way possible......academically, athletically, artistically, and of course, socially!!  Robert Hill was an icon of sorts, and not selling anyone else in your senior class "short" because there were many of you who fit the same description, but I was fortunate to get to know Robert a little better because of our love for baseball and Blackie Blackburn. He was also a pitcher which was my favorite position in baseball, so we had a lot in common. The bus trips to and from Odessa, Midland, Lubbock, San Angelo, etc. we're the most fun because Robert and William Robinson would literally "hold court" in the back of the bus for anyone to listen to, and I can guarantee you that all of us sophomores would fight to get a seat near the back of the bus, just so we could hear what those two guys were talking about!! Whether it was baseball, girls to date (or which ones not to!??), favorite teachers, places to hang out (Mack Eplen's!), or whatever the topic, Robert and William were the experts on those topics!!  Plus, the fact that a couple of senior boys would even take the time to sit and visit with sophomores (saphmores is how Coach Blackburn described us!) I honestly felt like I was "one of them"! RIP Robert, and I hope that you have had time now to hunt down Coach Blackburn and his sweet wife Nadine. I'm sure they were waiting for you, along with a host of family and friends!????
 

Posted on: Dec 21, 2016 at 3:33 AM

Posted on: Dec 21, 2015 at 3:33 AM