FAYETTEVILLE - Gene Lawing, of Fayetteville, passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 31, 2010. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home Chapel in Fayetteville with Father John Kelly officiating. The burial will follow in Lafayette Memorial Park with military honors. The family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral Home. He was born in Pennimen, Va., the son of Margie Bowman Lawing and William Lawing. He was raised in Nebo, and attended school in Marion, before enlisting in the military in 1936 at Fort Bragg, being assigned to the 17th Field Artillery. He spent 25 years in the military and retired with the rank of sergeant major. He served first in Africa during World War II, then in Anzio, Italy, where one of the bloodiest campaigns of the war took place. He earned the Italian Valor Cross by the Italian Government, the Legion of Merit, and won five other awards for his work in the European theatre - Rome, Anzio, Appenines and the Po Valley. With the war over, he re-enlisted at Fort Bragg in 1946. Mr. Lawing then went to Fort Kilmer, N.J., where he met Mary Ann Marion, who was a WAC during World War II, and they got married the following year. He was also a veteran of the Korean War. They eventually settled in Fayetteville, after Mr. Lawing retired from the Army. He found his passion for golf, plus spending time with his family and friends. He loved being a real estate broker, selling property for more than 35 years, belonging to the National Association of Realtors and the Fayetteville Area Board of Realtors. Gene Lawing is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Mary Ann; a son, Gary Lawing of Tampa, Fla.; a daughter, Nancy Woodruff and son-in-law Henry Woodruff III of Genesee, Colo.; two granddaughters, Michelle and Elise Woodruff; two sisters, Marie Bowers of High Point, and Reba Falls of Winston-Salem; three brothers, Milford Lawing of Matthews, Hubert Lawing of Huntsville, Ala., and Raymond Lawing of Rural Hall. He was predeceased by a son, Gene Lawing Jr.; and brothers, Alvin Lawing, Paul Lawing and William Lawing. He will be remembered by his love for people and his goodness volunteering to help others. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the The Resident Council Fund at the N.C. State Veterans Home, Attn: Beth Skipper, 214 Cochran Ave., Fayetteville, NC 28301, in his memory. Services entrusted to Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home of Fayetteville.