It with sadness and a celebration of life that we share that our Laurin Franklin "Sonny" Stacey passed away on January 31, 2026 in Prospect, KY.

Sonny was born in East Liverpool, on March 15, 1930. Married Donie Stacey New Years Eve 1955. They are survived by their 2 sons, Greg (Dana) Stacey and Steve (Barbara) Stacey, 3 Grandchildren (Brandon, Britta (Cole) Marty and Shannon (Jordan) Pietrus) and 7 Great Grandchildren, Ava, Chance, Cora and Canon Marty and Maeve, Vivian and Matthew Pietrus.

Sonny served 4 years in the Air Force, stationed in Biloxi, MS where he found his lifelong love for tennis and Dixieland Jazz.

Sonny was a lifelong member of the Lions Club and a strong advocate for sports for children. In 1964, he founded the Lions Junior Tennis program to provide free tennis lessons to all children. Over the next 20 years the McDonald's became a sponsor and the program had over 500 participants every summer.

Over the decades, Sonny's focus on helping children, promotion of tennis and entrepreneurial efforts, in 1983 was awarded the USTA Family of the Year for the WTA that encompasses 9 states, including Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

We will always miss his energy and devotion to family and community and will always carry this forward.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 18, at the Dawson Funeral Home, conducted by Fred Schrock of Greenford Christian Church. Following the service, family and friends will gather at the Dawson Family Center for continued fellowship and sharing of memories.