Lawrence Raymond Barnett (September 13, 1913 - June 11, 2012) leaves a Legacy of Integrity, Leadership and Caring. Executive, philanthropist and, foremost, beloved family patriarch, Lawrence Barnett passed away on June 11, 2012. Surrounded by family, Barnett died much as he had lived, with dignity and grace and with the adoration of all those he touched in his 98 years. From 1936 to 2000, Barnett was an executive and served on the boards of such organizations as Music Corporation of America (MCA) (1936 - 1963), General Artist Corporation (1963 - 1966), Piper Aircraft Corporation (1969 - 1977), Warner Communications Inc. (1984 - 1988), United Television, Inc. (1981 - 2000) and Chris-Craft Industries, Inc. (1967 - 2000). MCA founder Jules Stein hired and sent Barnett to MCA's West Coast offices where he handled the careers of many entertainers, including big band leaders Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Harry James; singers Tony Bennett, Lena Horne and Dinah Shore; and celebrities Jack Benny, George Burns, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Marlon Brando. Barnett heard about a young American actress named Isabel Bigley, who was a big hit in the London production of "Oklahoma," and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine. Barnett met with her, convinced her to sign with MCA, and two years later he asked her to marry him. During her career, Bigley too was widely respected for her work in TV and the theatre. She won a "Tony Award" for her role as Sarah Brown in the original Broadway production of "Guys and Dolls." Lawrence Barnett's credo in life was to help people so that one day he could look back and say that he lived his life unselfishly and gave something back to society for all the good fortune that was bestowed upon him. Over the years, he shared his passion, dedication, generosity of spirit, leadership and philanthropy with many worthy causes, such as Hillside Hospital, the Adoption Society of Westchester, the Annenberg Center for Health Services and the Eisenhower Medical Center. Lawrence and Isabel Barnett established The Ohio State University Arts Administration Program and the "Public Policy and the Arts Symposium." In 1996, Lawrence Barnett was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts and received the 2004 Gerlach Outstanding Development Volunteer Award. In 2011, the Barnetts donated the funds to establish the multi-disciplinary "Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise" at Ohio State and to support extensive building renovations for the College of Arts and Sciences. Barnett considered one of his greatest philanthropic accomplishments to be his work with The ALS Association to help find a cure and treatments for Lou Gehrig's Disease. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a devastating neuromuscular disease that robs its victims of the ability to walk, speak and, eventually, to breathe. Barnett served as the founding chair of The ALS Association; gave generously of his time, intellect and support; and became affectionately known as the "Grandfather" of the organization, a distinction of which he was especially proud. He and his wife helped fund research that eventually isolated the first gene associated with ALS and sponsored the inaugural Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award for ALS research. Barnett once shared, "I have always felt like I needed to help humanity as much as I can. And we are fortunate enough to be able to give back to the community and make a difference. Even as a child, I wanted to help others." Lawrence and Isabel Barnett shared 53 years of marriage, until her death in 2006, and leave a large and loving family of six children: Robert, William, Claudia, Lawrence Jr., James, and Laurey; 16 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

The Bigley-Barnett crypt is located at the outdoor New Mausoleum, near Garden of Serenity (exterior wall crypt facing north), at Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery.