Dr. Lawrence Littlefield, 94, of Atchison, KS since 1999, formerly of Kansas City, MO, passed away peacefully in his sleep, Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at his home.

Funeral Services will be 2:00 pm, Sunday, February 28, 2016 at the Becker-Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home, Atchison, with Bob Flack, officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Vernon Cemetery, Atchison with military honors. Family will receive friends Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the funeral home. Memorial contributions in remembrance of Dr. Littlefield are suggested to Riverbend Bible Church and may be sent in care of the funeral home at 800 Kansas Ave, Atchison, KS 66002. Words of comfort and remembrance may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com.

Lawrence Littlefield was born on October 11, 1921 in Kansas City, MO, the son of Ralph Edwin and Mary (Carnie) Littlefield. He was an officer in the US Navy during World War II, serving as a flight instructor and navigator. He graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, IL and became a third generation optometrist. His grandfather and father were practicing optometrists in Kansas City starting in 1909 - over 100 years ago. Dr. Lawrence Littlefield started fitting contact lenses in the 1950's - the first eye doctor to do so in the Kansas City area and has patents on contact lens manufacturing machines. He was a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate in the contact lens section. He was also a founding member of the Heart of America Contact Lens Convention which has grown to over 1,000 attendees yearly. Dr. Littlefield was an Elder of the Riverbend Bible Church, former Elder of the Spruce Hill Bible Chapel in Kansas City, MO, and past member of the Atchison Shepherd Center. His love of his Lord, Jesus Christ, led Dr. Littlefield to help plant Bible Chapels and Camps in Kansas and Missouri. He enjoyed gardening, working in his metal & wood workshops, inventing, creating, building and repairing. Dr. Littlefield was very well read and knew something about everything.

Dr. Littlefield and Betty Jane Townsend were married on July 17, 1943 in Atchison. Betty preceded him in death after 67 years of marriage on January 23, 2011. He was also preceded in death by a grandson, Luke Hausmann (2008); a great-grandson, Bradlee Bridges (2008); two brothers, John and James Littlefield; sister, Alice Woosley.

Survivors include two sons, fourth generation optometrist, Dr. David Townsend Littlefield (Joanne), Kansas City, MO, and Ralph Lawrence Littlefield, Esq. (Naty), Okanawa, Japan; four daughters, Janet King (Larry), Waco, TX, Karen Hausmann (David), Atchison, Jenifer Brodtbeck, Liestal, Switzerland, Melinda Landis (Lawrence), Las Cruces, NM; 21 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren.