With his usual dark sense of humor, the “original” Rick Lawrence — the larger-than-life local businessman who managed the Dream Machine arcade, Ricky’s of Nantasket, the Levin family properties, and for a time, the Paragon Carousel — spent the morning calling friends to inform them that as Mark Twain famously wrote, the reports of his death were an exaggeration.
This time, we won’t be so fortunate to hear his familiar voice on the other end of the phone.
Richard E. Lawrence Jr., an unmistakably original personality known simply as Rick, died December 21, 2020 after a period of failing health. As his family has opted for privacy, Rick’s many Hull friends are remembering him fondly today, July 29, which would have been his 68th birthday.
I met Rick 35 years ago, when I was a teenage employee of the Dream Machine video arcade and he had appointed himself the “King of the Beach.” Over the years, he became more than just the dirty-joke-telling, leather-jacket-wearing, pistol-packing, motorcycle-riding boss I first encountered that summer evening on the Nantasket Avenue sidewalk.
He was a very funny, very generous, very loyal friend.
Although he never relocated from his native Central Massachusetts, he quickly adopted Hull, and the town adopted him right back. Most summers, and even during the winter, Rick’s over-the-top personality was a presence around Hull.
“You always knew when Rick was in a room. He loved a good joke … well, not always good, but he loved jokes,” said longtime friend John Reilly. “He loved to buy drinks and pass time with friends after a long day at work. … I'm sure he is enjoying his Johnnie Walker Black and his smelly cigar and just waiting to share his opinion with us of all he has been watching over.”
The namesake of the former Ricky’s ice cream and food stand, Rick also managed the real estate of the Levin family, serving as the landlord’s representative for the beachfront block of stores stretching from the miniature golf course to Dalat. For several years, while the Levins were part owners of the Paragon Carousel, he managed the operation of the historic merry-go-round.
Following the death of his friend Leonard Hersch in 2008, Rick added the historic Fascination bingo game to the businesses he oversaw until the Levin family sold its properties in 2017. His strong work ethic and knowledge of the food-service industry were honed while growing up in his family’s business, the Wigwam restaurant in Worcester -- or, as he pronounced it, “Wiss-tah.” In recent years, he co-owned Maury’s Deli in that city with his brother, Bob.
He was loyal to his friends and frequently gave advice and assistance to his fellow businesspeople in Hull.
Schooner’s Restaurant owner Jacqui Chase said his death “has left a void along the Nantasket Ave. strip.”
“Rick made being in business so much easier,” Chase said this week. “He helped every single place that needed anything. He was a good businessman, he always hired Hull kids, and was my good friend.”
Ken Hackel, who ran the Carousels and Ships gift shop for 30 years, called Rick ”a treasured friend” and talked with him by phone almost daily, long after both had left their usual posts at Nantasket.
“In good times and bad, Rick was there to share the joy or provide comfort when needed. He was trusted -- a rare commodity,” Hackel said this week. “He truly cared about the people close to him. Problems arise? I think I'll give Rick a call. Generous? He would provide whatever and whenever it was needed.”
During his decades in business, he was involved with numerous local organizations, including the chamber of commerce, Nantasket Beach Merchants Association, the Bernie King Pavilion band concerts, and fundraisers of all kinds.
“Although he only lived in town for a short period years ago, he always acted like Hull was his hometown, and he cared very deeply how it was managed and how the future was planned,” said Reilly, a Hull native and select board member who shared memories of Rick at the board’s January 6 meeting. “Of course, he had his own vision of what he thought should happen, and that is where the fun began.”
As Reilly noted, Rick had many opinions on many topics, and he shared them often, regardless of whether his audience seemed willing to hear them.
“Rick was never shy about sharing his opinion on local, state, national, social, economic, or international issues, and he loved a good debate,” Reilly said.
A staunch Republican, Rick enjoyed needling his Democratic friends, who also enjoyed returning the teasing. Reilly recalled that he “took particular pleasure in flying the Republican elephant flag from the mini golf flagpole just to hope someone would notice it.” Very few did. When he returned home from a hospital stay, I messaged him that I was sending him a copy of Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren’s latest book to read while he recovered. “Don’t bother,” he replied. “The wood stove is already full.”
In business, politics, and personal relationships, Rick considered his unwillingness to change his mind as sticking to his guns, but his stubbornness frustrated friends and foes alike. In his world, it was Rick's way, or the highway.
His friends knew that image was not entirely accurate, however.
"I always enjoyed Rick's tough-guy persona, where he’d try to come across as a cynical wise guy who really didn't care about most people or what they thought of him,” former Hull Times Publisher Susan Ovans recalled this week. “That crusty veneer was a sham. Rick cared about the town of Hull, its people and its politics, although he tried valiantly to conceal that affection to bolster his tough-guy image.”
