Charlotte sports official dies of cancer

Published May 9, 2010 at 6:51 a.m.
Charlotte's Bob Lawing - who helped keep order on the football fields and basketball courts of the Carolinas and throughout the country - died Thursday of cancer.

Lawing, 58, was a former football and basketball referee in the ACC who had been an NFL official since 1997. He also worked for his family's T.R. Lawing Realty Inc.

As a student at East Mecklenburg High, Lawing began officiating when he was 14 in the Myers Park Trinity Little League program.

After graduating from N.C. State, he worked N.C. high school football and basketball games before advancing to the college level.

He continued to referee in the ACC, Southern Conference and Big South for more than 10 years before joining the NFL in 1997.

In 12 seasons in the NFL, Lawing refereed six playoff games and one Pro Bowl.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2007, said Ron Phares, a friend and fellow NFL referee who lives near Lake Norman. After taking the 2007 season off, Lawing, who was a back judge and wore No.17, refereed in 2008, but was too sick to continue in 2009.

Phares said Lawing was active in several church and civic groups.

"Football was just one side of his life," said Phares. "It's kind of amazing, really, that he had time to do all those things. He was quite a guy."

Visitation for Lawing is today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Harry & Bryant Funeral Home, 500 Providence Rd.

Services are Monday at 1 p.m. Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church, 501 Hawthorne Lane.

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