Larry

Taken about 1985. This is the Larry I'll always remember; clever, fun loving, young at heart.

Our local sign industry lost a legend Tuesday night when Larry passed away. His career spanned 60 years, from the days of mixing white lead and linseed oil to computerized sign making. He loved to tell funny stories about the old days, but he lived in the present and looked to the future. His passion for the industry showed in many ways; not least his interest in teaching young people the craft.

Meeting Larry in 1974 was one of the best things that ever happened to me. As the shop foreman, he encouraged me to move from the office to the shop and mentored me for several years. He introduced me to quills, calligraphy, letterstyles and ligatures. He instilled in me the dedication to make well designed, legible signs. He was a constant in my life for many happy years there at my first job. When he started his own business I was one of his first employees, but then I started my own company and we drifted apart for a while.

When Larry retired in 1994, he came to me for a job and worked with me for almost 14 years. He was always ready to help with a design, offer advice, or just talk about current events. Larry could never really retire; he was too much of a people person. He had lifelong friends from every walk of life and looked forward to each day as an opportunity to build relationships. He will be sadly missed by his many many friends, his large family, and one little lady sign painter.

Dianthus