Swim BC joins the swimming community in mourning the passing of Lawrie Johns, who passed away peacefully on September 1 at the age of 81. For more than 30 years, Lawrie was a familiar presence in the BC swimming community as an official, volunteer, club leader, and passionate swim parent.
Lawrie moved to Richmond in 1986 at the same time his sons, Kevin and Brian, began their swimming journeys. From the beginning, he understood that providing opportunities for young athletes required volunteers, and he was always willing to help wherever needed.
From 1986 through 2020, Lawrie officiated at swim meets throughout BC and across Canada. While he worked every officiating role, he was most often seen alongside his wife, Barbara, with Barbara serving as referee and Lawrie as starter. He also presented officiating clinics and mentored countless officials on the pool deck.
His commitment to the swimming community extended beyond officiating. Lawrie served as a board member for the Richmond Racers Swim Club from 1994 to 1996 and was involved in the development of Watermania. He fought hard to ensure Richmond had an eight-lane, 50-metre pool capable of hosting major competitions and helped Watermania become one of the Lower Mainland’s most important competition venues.
Lawrie also played an important role in the amalgamation of the Richmond Racers and Richmond Aquanauts, helping create what is now the Richmond Rapids Swim Club. He subsequently served as President of the Richmond Rapids from 1997 to 2001, helping guide the club through its early years following the amalgamation and into its new home at Watermania.
Lawrie was immensely proud of Kevin and Brian’s swimming accomplishments, including their national-level medals and induction into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. He and Barbara travelled with their sons throughout Canada and around the world, including Europe, Australia, and China.
One of his most memorable moments came at the 2003 CIS (now U SPORTS) Nationals, where Lawrie was a stroke judge during Brian’s world-record 400-metre individual medley swim. As Brian touched the wall, Lawrie was seen turning away from the race, covering his face with his hands in joy, while the rest of the race continued.
Seeing the difficulties national team parents were facing leading up to the Sydney Olympics, Lawrie took a leadership role by organizing the purchase and distribution of tickets to swimming families, often carrying thousands of dollars’ worth of tickets in his pocket. This led Lawrie and Barbara to become advocates through C-SPOT (Canadian Sport Parents Organizing Themselves), helping sport parents attend international competitions to watch their children compete. Swimming Canada eventually took on many of these tasks, but the friendships Lawrie and Barbara made and fostered through C-SPOT lasted well beyond the pool deck.
Lawrie’s greatest joy was his family, particularly his four granddaughters. He passed his love of sport to his sons, and that legacy continues with the next generation. Lawrie’s presence on the pool deck will be deeply missed by the many swimmers, officials, coaches, and families whose lives he touched.
Swim BC extends its deepest condolences to Barbara, Kevin, Brian, the Johns family, and all those who knew and loved Lawrie. His dedication and longstanding contributions to swimming will be remembered with gratitude throughout our community.
