Obituary: Darrick Lee Lawrence, 64, Odell

Darrick Lee Lawrence

Darrick Lee Lawrence

Darrick Lee Lawrence was born June 27, 1962, and died July 21, 2026.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his children, Joshua, Jeremy and Sadie, also known as Alex; his brother, David Lawrence; and his parents, Trudy Osbourn and Jerry Lawrence.

Darrick was a car enthusiast who knew every aspect of restoring a vehicle, from mechanical components — including engines, transmissions and electrical systems — to repairing body damage. His favorite cars were certain models from Chrysler Corp., particularly Dodge and Plymouth, as well as British cars such as Jaguars and MGs.

He also raced cars. He owned a 1979 Dodge work pickup that he later transformed into his “drag truck.” Darrick did all of the work himself and referred to the truck as his “girlfriend.”

His mechanical ability became apparent at an early age. By age 5 or younger, he would remove all the screws from doorknobs around his house. When an adult tried to open a door, the mechanism would fall apart in their hand.

Later, he began dismantling and repairing small engines from lawnmowers. His father, Jerry, was a mechanic and influenced Darrick’s abilities. Darrick often watched his father work on cars and later assisted him.

But the person who had the greatest influence on Darrick was his grandfather, Frank Baldon. Frank could build nearly anything from wood, metal or stone, which fascinated Darrick. Frank was a patient teacher, and Darrick spent considerable time with his grandfather, learning from his years of experience.

Darrick later worked for several shops and enjoyed the work. He always wanted to own his own shop and eventually realized that dream, becoming the owner and proprietor of Gearhead Transmissions in Odell, Oregon.

Darrick lived life to the fullest. He was an adrenaline junkie who was never afraid to try anything fast and possibly a little dangerous. Along with drag racing, he loved roller coasters, bungee jumping and, of course, fast vehicles.

His happy place was Las Vegas, and he visited as often as he could.

Darrick also enjoyed the outdoors, including fishing and other activities, often spending time with close friends. He had an outrageous sense of humor and frequently entertained groups of people. Some thought he should try stand-up comedy, but that wasn’t his scene.

His most endearing qualities were his kindness and generosity. He was a person of deep feelings who was intensely loyal to his friends and family. He sometimes had a bit of a temper, but it didn’t last long, and he tended not to harbor grudges.

Darrick was many things that a short summary of his life cannot fully capture. Suffice it to say, he will be greatly missed, and for those who knew him, life will be less colorful, less humorous and less interesting without him.