William Lawrence Strait

CHESTER: Mr. William Lawrence Strait, Jr., 85, died Friday, July 31, 2015 at Chester Regional Nursing Center.The funeral service will be held 3:00 PM Sunday, August 2, 2015 at Capers Chapel United Methodist Church with Rev. Paige Wheeler and Rev. Michael Shaffer officiating.The interment will be in the church cemetery.The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Saturday, August 1, 2015 at Barron Funeral Home. Born November 29, 1929, Mr. Strait was a son of the late William L. Strait, Sr. and Margaret Colie Ferguson Strait. He was a graduate of Chester High School,SC Criminal Justice Academy and attended Clemson College.He was a veteran of the United States Army having served during the Korean Conflict. Mr. Strait was a retired Police Chief, having served the city of Chester for over forty-two years.He was affectionately known to many as “Mr. Mack” or “Chief”. Lawrence was a member of Capers Chapel United Methodist Church where he served on numerous committees, wasa former trustee and finance committee member and current president of the cemetery committee.Hewas also a member of Chester Masonic Lodge #18, the VFW, and the DAV and also Chester County Livestock Association. He is survived by his wife of over fifty-six years Frances Connor Strait; three daughters, Susan S. Welborn and her husband Dewitt, III, Jean Strait Little and her husband Randy, and Kay Strait Roberts and her husband Jeff all of Chester; four grandsons, Trenton “Trent” Blake Smith, Dewitt T. “Witt” Welborn, Payton Strait Smith and Brock Avery Smith all of Chester; one sister, Margaret Frances S. Young of Chester; one brother, Robert Haskell Strait, Sr. of Chester and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to Capers Chapel United Methodist Church, C/O Eddie Grant, 2056 Baton Rouge Road, Chester, SC 29706.