Lawrence Farmer

Lawrence M. Farmer SUFFOLK - Lawrence M. Farmer, 88, passed away Dec. 26, 2010 at Sentara Obici Hospital. He was the son of the late James and Maude Farmer. He is survived by his wife, Jean A. Farmer and stepson Jeffrey A. Perry and wife Mary Denise Perry of Sunbury, N.C.; two grandchildren; two nephews, David and Harold Farmer of Danville, Va.; one great nephew, Buck Farmer of Danville; and numerous nieces and nephews of Suffolk, Norfolk and Richmond. Lawrence M. Farmer, a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service, shielded presidents, kings, emperors, and foreign heads of state. As Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk office, he coordinated the protection of six presidents and 28 foreign heads of state. As a Marine, Farmer participated in numerous battles in the South Pacific, ending with his being badly wounded at Iwo Jima. Farmer received a purple heart and after the war, he earned a B.S. degree in sociology at the College of William and Mary. After retiring from the Secret Service in 1978, Farmer started solving handwriting cases. From million dollar courtroom cases to small-town testimonies, forgeries and fraud, his expert testimony in court and advice to lawyers made him world- renown as a handwriting expert. A funeral will be conducted Tuesday, Jan. 4, at 11 a.m. in the R. W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home, 509 W. Washington St., Suffolk, VA 23434, conducted by Dr. Walter L. Black. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Williamsburg Memorial Park, 130 King William Drive, Williamsburg. The family will receive friends in the funeral home Monday, Jan. 3, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to American Heart Assoc., Tidewater Chapter, 891 Norfolk Square, Norfolk, VA 23502. Condolences may be registered at www.rwbakerfh.com.