Mr. Leon "Bumper" Lawson

LAWSON, Mr. Leon "Bumper" - Age 82, passed away Monday, June 12, 2023, at Medilodge of Montrose. Family hour 12:00 PM Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Michigan Event Center, 4510 S. Dort Hwy., with funeral services commencing at 1:00 PM. Family and friends will assemble at the Michigan Event Center at 12:00 PM Saturday. Mr. Lawson will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd. and may be viewed from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Friday. Leon David Lawson, affectionately known as “Bumper“, was born August 15, 1940, in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to parents, Eunice Anna Marie Lawson-Slater, and Wilbert Stewart. His beloved stepfather, Charles Lawson was the man who helped to raise him and his siblings. Although he was born in Pittsburgh, they would soon move to Chicago, Illinois, where they stayed until he was a young teen. They then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to be with their Aunt Sarah, where he met one of his closest childhood friends, the late GREAT, Muhammad Ali. When the two met, Muhammad Ali, then, Cassius Clay, was working a newspaper route in their neighborhood. The two grew very close, and remained that way, until Ali’s passing in 2016. Their friendship, would spark the love and passion of boxing, that streamed throughout our entire family. That passion would guide him to raise, not only an Olympic Bronze Medalist, but 2 World Championship Boxers, His Grandsons, Andre and Anthony Dirrell. He told them, when they were 8 and 9 years old, that he would make them world champions. People laughed and snickered in disbelief, but he did just THAT! WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT! Bumper loved to reminisce about their friendship. He often spoke fondly of a time when Ali tried to convince him to skip school, to go to the gym. That day, he decided not to, and subsequently, he had to live with that regret, forever. He always would say, “What a story that would have been, to tell about the time I skipped school with Muhammad Ali“… Ali went on to be world champ, and Bumper left to join the United States Army. He was a proud army veteran, and a dedicated employee of Chevrolet V8, for 17 years. By his late teens, he returned from the service, and met and married Bernice Gill (Lawson). The year was 1960, and they went on to have five beautiful children. In 1993, he met Brenda Banks, and they would later wed, in 2005. She was by his side faithfully, gazing into his eyes, until his very last day here on earth…Nothing was more important to Bumper, than family. All of his free time was divided amongst family, coaching and watching boxing, and if you reeeally knew Bump, you knew he was ALWAYS about his money! He loooved to reminisce about the “good ole days”. He greatly enjoyed capturing all of our special moments, by way of photography & videography. He loved to draw, enjoyed traveling, water-sports, darts, shooting pool, playing checkers, playing music & singing, as well as performing magic tricks & telling jokes. The man was the KING of Pranks! He was full of compassion. A man who has never met a stranger. Literally, everywhere we went, we would run into someone who knew him. Even in New York’s Time Square, we heard someone yell out, “Hey Bumpa“! He was charming, magnetic and charismatic. People would just gravitate to him. Maaaan…. We’re certainly gonna miss you, Big Fella! BIG TIME….Leon David Lawson leaves to cherish in his memory: his wife, Brenda Faye Lawson, of Flint; 7 children, Lorraine Lawson-Thompson, Lola Lawson-Dirrell, Lasina Lawson, Lanice Lawson, Leon Ali Lawson Jr. (Ena), Jessica Matthews, and Latrice Jones; 1 bonus son, Melvin Bingham, Jr.; 27 grandchildren, Latoya, Willie (Shemia), Jeriesha (Robert), Andre (Alaia), Anthony (Shondrika), Janina, Earl, Erika, Erik, William, Christina (Jerome), Darryl Jr., Chavez, Amelia, Rianna, Darrion, Tatyanna, Azariah, Leon David Ali Lawson III, Landon, Lennox, Kennedy, Levi, Kobe, Ashton, and Channing. And THOSE were just the GRANDCHILDREN! There were 63 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; 6 nieces; 5 nephews; 3 brothers-in-law, Harvey, Terry and Bobby Williams, & Joseph “Jo Jo” Gill; 3 sisters-in-law, Rosa Myles, Shirley Brewington & Patricia Moore; special friends, Larry “Pete” Johnson, Jessie Addison, Michael “Doc” Holliday and Buddy Elbert; 2 honorary sons, Theatrice “Quan” King Jr., Quincy Holbrook; 2 honorary grandchildren, Daron “D- Bates” Bates and Theatrice “Nyindy” King III. Last, But most CERTAINLY not Least, we’d like to extend a special, special thank you, to the 7 east nursing supervisor, Vincent Waller, and Bumper’s “Hurley Grand-babies”, Kristina Dixson, and Iyana Jones. They affectionately referred to him as “Grandad”, and they looked out after our beloved one, in his most vulnerable times, as if he were their very own flesh and blood. We could never quantify what that was worth to us. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU! Leon David Lawson was preceded in death by his father, Wilbert Stewart; step-father, Charles Lawson; stepfather, Bernice “Daddy Benny” Slater; mother, Eunice Slater; brother, Charles Alexander Lawson; sister, Arrawana M. Allen; father-in-law, Harvey Williams; sisters-in-law, Sherri and Kim Williams; brother-in-law, Perry “Doodandy” Gill; special friend, James “Baby James” Parker; father in-law, Perry Gill; and mother-in-law, Rosa Gill.

Mr. Leon "Bumper" Lawson

August 15, 1940 - June 12, 2023