Warrick T. Lacey Sr.
September 8, 1938 — January 3, 2023
Warrick T. Lacey, Sr. passed away January 3, 2023, at the age of 84. Warrick was born September 8, 1938, in Orangeburg, SC, to Carrie Pearl Johnson and Booker T. Lacey.
As a child, Warrick displayed an interest in electricity and his father, a licensed Electrician, nurtured this interest. As Warrick matured, he worked with his father on residential and commercial jobs. Warrick attended Wilkinson High School where he played the trumpet in the school band. He then went on to attend South Carolina State College in Orangeburg studying Music. After 2 years, he joined the United States Air Force on the promise of working on electronics. While serving as an Electronics Technician in the Air Force he was stationed in Europe, spending time in Germany and England. He worked on a variety of aircraft.
Towards the end of his Air Force engagement, he was stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He and other young men from the base were invited to escort young ladies to a Debutante Ball in St. Louis, MO. It was at this affair that he met his future wife, Sonja Hill. After Warrick was honorably discharged from the Air Force, the couple married.
After their wedding, Warrick worked locally in St. Louis at Emerson Electric, while searching for employment more centrally associated with the electronics industry. Eventually, he interviewed for and was subsequently hired as an Electronics Technician by North American Rockwell in Columbus, Ohio.
In the early 1960's, Warrick & Sonja moved their young family from St. Louis to Columbus, Ohio. As is the nature of defense contracts, after a few years, he was laid off from his position with North American Rockwell. Fortunately, Warrick quickly found work in Maryland with the Bendix Corporation tracking satellites. After a brief stay in Maryland, North American Rockwell recalled Warrick and he and his family returned to Columbus, Ohio.
As much as Warrick enjoyed his work at Rockwell, the uncertainty of employment between contracts took its toll on him and he began looking for other more stable employment. Eventually, he joined the Columbus Board of Education working in the Audio-Visual Repair Department as an Electronics Technician. His work ranged from repairing film projectors, tape recorders, hearing aids for hearing disabled children, Public Address systems at high school stadiums to the WCBE radio station.
Outside of his employment with Columbus Board of Education, Warrick independently worked on developing progressive hearing equipment for a friend's audiometer business. It was at this time Warrick also developed an automatic phone dialing burglar alarm system which he was later granted a patent. Some years later, it was this patent and his extensive experience with electronics that enabled him to become an evening school Instructor of Electronics at Ohio Institute of Technology (eventually renamed as DeVry Institute of Technology from 1977 to 1987.
After 30 years with the Columbus Board of Education, Warrick retired as the Audio-Visual Repair Department's Supervisor in 2000.
In 2001, Warrick was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. As the disease progressed, he was never heard to complain.
Throughout Warrick's life, he possessed an innate curiosity and need to know. It was not unusual for him to repair appliances for friends, family or neighbors. His ability to problem-solve knew no bounds, covering plumbing, HVAC, general construction, roofing and automotive repair. He shared his problem-solving skills with whoever was in need.
His hobbies included model steam engines, launching model rockets, building and operating miniature train sets and designing, building and flying model airplanes as well as a life-long love of music.
Warrick will be remembered as a wonderful provider for his family, caring husband, dear brother, loving father, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather, a great listener, bestower of wisdom, compassionate friend; and above all, a kind and gentle spirit to all who were fortunate enough to cross paths with him. Warrick is preceded in death by his mother, Carrie Pearl Lacey; father, Booker T. Lacey; sisters: Ester Plummer and Virginia Rhett; and wife, Sonja Lacey. He is survived by children, Cassundra Lacey, Valerie Lacey-Jones (Darrell), and Warrick Lacey Jr. (Susan); grandchildren Kondi Lacey Carroll (Brent), Maxwell Lacey-Garita and Dorian Lacey-Garita, as well as their mother, Gerardina Garita; and great-grandchildren Akira Lacey, Akia Lacey, and Ari Carroll; sister-in-law Brenda Thomas; nieces LaTonja Thomas Evans (Pete), Karen Hill, Christine Byrd, Kimberly Plummer Moreland, Cheryl Plummer Jackson, and Ramona Rhett Foster (Isaac); nephews Lemar Wilkes (Sharon), LaMario Thomas (Barrie), Theron Hill, Daniel Plummer, Jerome Rhett, and Raymond Rhett III (Mildred); and other extended family members.
Please join us as we celebrate the life of Warrick Lacey, Sr. on Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm at The Paddock Pub, located at 1005 Richardson Road, Groveport, OH 43125.
As a child, Warrick displayed an interest in electricity and his father, a licensed Electrician, nurtured this interest. As Warrick matured, he worked with his father on residential and commercial jobs. Warrick attended Wilkinson High School where he played the trumpet in the school band. He then went on to attend South Carolina State College in Orangeburg studying Music. After 2 years, he joined the United States Air Force on the promise of working on electronics. While serving as an Electronics Technician in the Air Force he was stationed in Europe, spending time in Germany and England. He worked on a variety of aircraft.
Towards the end of his Air Force engagement, he was stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He and other young men from the base were invited to escort young ladies to a Debutante Ball in St. Louis, MO. It was at this affair that he met his future wife, Sonja Hill. After Warrick was honorably discharged from the Air Force, the couple married.
After their wedding, Warrick worked locally in St. Louis at Emerson Electric, while searching for employment more centrally associated with the electronics industry. Eventually, he interviewed for and was subsequently hired as an Electronics Technician by North American Rockwell in Columbus, Ohio.
In the early 1960's, Warrick & Sonja moved their young family from St. Louis to Columbus, Ohio. As is the nature of defense contracts, after a few years, he was laid off from his position with North American Rockwell. Fortunately, Warrick quickly found work in Maryland with the Bendix Corporation tracking satellites. After a brief stay in Maryland, North American Rockwell recalled Warrick and he and his family returned to Columbus, Ohio.
As much as Warrick enjoyed his work at Rockwell, the uncertainty of employment between contracts took its toll on him and he began looking for other more stable employment. Eventually, he joined the Columbus Board of Education working in the Audio-Visual Repair Department as an Electronics Technician. His work ranged from repairing film projectors, tape recorders, hearing aids for hearing disabled children, Public Address systems at high school stadiums to the WCBE radio station.
Outside of his employment with Columbus Board of Education, Warrick independently worked on developing progressive hearing equipment for a friend's audiometer business. It was at this time Warrick also developed an automatic phone dialing burglar alarm system which he was later granted a patent. Some years later, it was this patent and his extensive experience with electronics that enabled him to become an evening school Instructor of Electronics at Ohio Institute of Technology (eventually renamed as DeVry Institute of Technology from 1977 to 1987.
After 30 years with the Columbus Board of Education, Warrick retired as the Audio-Visual Repair Department's Supervisor in 2000.
In 2001, Warrick was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. As the disease progressed, he was never heard to complain.
Throughout Warrick's life, he possessed an innate curiosity and need to know. It was not unusual for him to repair appliances for friends, family or neighbors. His ability to problem-solve knew no bounds, covering plumbing, HVAC, general construction, roofing and automotive repair. He shared his problem-solving skills with whoever was in need.
His hobbies included model steam engines, launching model rockets, building and operating miniature train sets and designing, building and flying model airplanes as well as a life-long love of music.
Warrick will be remembered as a wonderful provider for his family, caring husband, dear brother, loving father, uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather, a great listener, bestower of wisdom, compassionate friend; and above all, a kind and gentle spirit to all who were fortunate enough to cross paths with him. Warrick is preceded in death by his mother, Carrie Pearl Lacey; father, Booker T. Lacey; sisters: Ester Plummer and Virginia Rhett; and wife, Sonja Lacey. He is survived by children, Cassundra Lacey, Valerie Lacey-Jones (Darrell), and Warrick Lacey Jr. (Susan); grandchildren Kondi Lacey Carroll (Brent), Maxwell Lacey-Garita and Dorian Lacey-Garita, as well as their mother, Gerardina Garita; and great-grandchildren Akira Lacey, Akia Lacey, and Ari Carroll; sister-in-law Brenda Thomas; nieces LaTonja Thomas Evans (Pete), Karen Hill, Christine Byrd, Kimberly Plummer Moreland, Cheryl Plummer Jackson, and Ramona Rhett Foster (Isaac); nephews Lemar Wilkes (Sharon), LaMario Thomas (Barrie), Theron Hill, Daniel Plummer, Jerome Rhett, and Raymond Rhett III (Mildred); and other extended family members.
Please join us as we celebrate the life of Warrick Lacey, Sr. on Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm at The Paddock Pub, located at 1005 Richardson Road, Groveport, OH 43125.
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