Larry moved to Cayman in February 1995 to help his good friend Charlie Murray manage his business, Cayman Glass; he disliked the cold weather in Montreal so the move to Cayman was a way of avoiding a couple winters!  Larry committed to two years with Cayman Glass but this turned into 14 years! He moved in with Charlie and Fiona at their home in Buena Vista and enjoyed many good times with them, boating, "flirting with chicks", or just hanging out with friends being the ever friendly, happy, entertaining and very sociable gentleman. Whilst boating was a favourite pastime for them, Charlie recalls that Larry was not so much into fishing. They once went to 12 Mile Bank and Larry caught a marlin; the marlin put up a hard fight so Larry needed some time to lay back and recover. Unbeknownst to him during that time the marlin was released by another friend on the fishing trip; after fifteen minutes of recovery time Larry asked “where is my fish?!“.  To his disbelief all they had was a picture of the marlin!  Needless to say there were no more fishing trips for Larry!

Larry enjoyed his time working at Cayman Glass; he got to meet so many different people through the business and the staff grew to appreciate and respect him although they initially resisted the changes he brought, including a computer!  He once told Charlie “the computer stays or I go”; anyone familiar with Cayman Glass would know that it operated the old-fashioned way with thousand dollar job orders being scribbled by hand on a piece of ‘recycled’ paper and then ‘filed’ on a piece of wire.  Despite some resistance Larry made as many changes as he could and continued on because, as he always said “the job is not stressful but just challenging enough to keep my brain ticking”.  It irked Charlie when Larry would take vacation from a Tuesday or Wednesday because that meant he would actually have to show up at work for a few hours…Charlie thought Larry’s vacation should always start on Saturday with a return to work the following Monday! Larry was down to earth and genuine; a ‘male plain Jane’; Charlie gave him an old Daihatsu Rocky to drive, no A/C, and Larry happily drove around in it, windows down, waving to everyone…he later ‘moved up’ to a Lite Ace Van with A/C and no more hand signals!  One day as Larry used to tell it, Charlie showed up at Cayman Glass and said “I like the way things are going; I’m not coming back to work!” and he walked away, leaving Larry generally in charge of the business.  And so it was, Larry was seen as the true Manager of Cayman Glass for many years; he always had a great laugh telling the story about his experience as a witness in a Court case a few years after living in Cayman; the Judge at the time was a Jamaican lady who was known personally to Larry and Charlie.  Larry was called to take the stand and the Judge very professionally asked him to state his name and occupation; when Larry stated that he was the ‘Assistant Manager of Cayman Glass’ the Judge with a mischievous smile on her face asked him loudly “Mr. Johnston, if you are the Assistant Manager of Cayman Glass can you please enlighten me on who the Manager is?”  She knew very well that Charlie was not really showing up to work any longer and that Larry was managing the business.  Larry resigned from Cayman Glass in June 2011 in order to set up his own company and get involved in expanding and moving forward his son Greg’s own business Architech Solutions which he successfully accomplished.

Just a couple months after moving to Cayman Larry met Shirley May and so began a long love affair, filled with ups, downs, twists and turns, and much love that kept them together through it all.  As Larry often described it to friends “I came to Cayman for two years but Shirley May messed up my entire plan”.  It took some time for Shirley May to settle Larry down though, as initially his favourite pastime was still ‘flirting with chicks’ but sure enough she did, and over time they grew stronger and closer together.  They fell in love and shared many wonderful years; one of their favourite things to do was just chill, whether it was a long weekend at a condo on Seven Mile Beach, a Resort on the East End, or short trips over to the Sister Islands, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, Larry was happy and content with the peace and calm of a beach chair or a hammock and some nice shade.  Larry and Shirley May were once nick-named ‘the hammock people’ by tourists on Little Cayman because they spent so much time just lazing in the hammocks.  All of Shirley May’s family, friends and co-workers totally embraced and loved Larry; he enjoyed being surrounded by her sisters and often declared without hesitation that Rosemarie was his favourite!  Shirley May’s friends quickly became Larry’s friends and they enjoyed many good times together; the girls loving his charm and the guys having great laughs at ‘chick’ stories Larry was always ready to give them!  During Larry’s short period of illness while still in Cayman, family and friends helped out in every way they could; at one point Larry said to close friend Edna, “I feel so special; like royalty”.  We are all thankful that Larry’s period of illness was brief, he didn’t care for Hospitals, needles, and illness in general but through it all, we can know that he felt special, like royalty.

Larry formed numerous friendships and acquaintances in Cayman; everybody he met loved and respected him and he had a story to tell about each of them. Cayman was special to Larry; he loved the simplicity of Island life; he loved that everybody and everything was pretty much around the corner; he loved that he bumped into the same people all the time. Cayman fit right in with Larry's completely laid-back personality; he never stressed about anything and he often spoke about how much he appreciated the stress free lifestyle of Cayman.  Larry was so proud to wear his Cayman T-shirt that declared him LOCAL’ISH; he knew that Cayman loved him too!

There are so many positive words to describe Larry.  He was a gentleman! A humble man! Loyal! Genuine! Generous! A great man!  Larry had a special way of making everyone feel comfortable…and that smile! That smile that was ever present; one could not help but love Larry! His love for life provided him with so many experiences it almost seemed impossible that one person could have so many intriguing stories in a lifetime but Larry did!   We can all be comforted knowing that in his 68 years Larry thoroughly enjoyed and lived his life to the fullest.

Larry was blessed and he was a blessing!  He loved life and life loved him right back!

Cayman is tearfully missing Larry!  May his soul rest in peace.

LARRY - A TRIBUTE

THE WELL KNOWN PHILOSOPHER AND POET, KHALIL GIBRAND, DESCRIBES LIFE AS "A BUNDLE OF EXPERIENCES BETWEEN TWO PERIODS OF TIME".

BY ANY STANDARD OF MEASURE, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT LARRY HAD A REALLY FULL LIFE. JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF US HERE KNEW THAT, WITH LARRY, WHAT YOU SAW WAS WHAT YOU GOT - WITH SOME MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES THROWN IN.

THEY SAY THERE IS A TIME FOR ALL SEASONS, AND, AS MANY OF US ENTER THE AUTUMN OF OUR LIVES, WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE DURING THOSE YEARS WE CONSIDER OUR SPRING, WHEN OUR YOUTH WAS IN FULL BLOOM. THEY SAY THAT "YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG", BUT THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE FOR THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP WITH LARRY. THERE WAS NEVER EVER A WASTED EXPERIENCE. MY ASSOCIATION AND FRIENDSHIP WITH LARRY GO BACK TO THOSE DAYS WHEN WE WERE 5/6 YEARS OLD AND LIVED NEXT DOOR TO EACH OTHER ON WARRENTON ROAD IN COLLINS GREEN UNTIL WE LEFT SCHOOL TO PURSUE OUR CAREERS. THERE WERE MANY OF US WHO GREW UP TOGETHER IN COLLINS GREEN AND REMARKABLY WE NEVER LOST TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER. AMONG US, LARRY WAS AFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS "CUBBY". I WON'T GET INTO THE ORIGIN.

AS WE REMINISCED RECENTLY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS INFLUENCE OUR PARENTS HAD ON EACH OF US THAT HELPED SHAPED THE VALUE SYSTEM WE EMBRACED THAT GUIDED US THROUGH OUR CHALLENGES AND OUR SUCCESSES. LARRY'S FAMILY WAS OUR FAMILY, AND, THE JOHNSTON HOUSE WAS THE SPOT FOR ALL OF US. WE HAD

· PING PONG TOURNAMENTS ORGANIZED BY MRS. JOHNSTON

· COMPETITIONS TO SEE WHO COULD EAT THE MOST BLACKIE MANGOES FROM THE INFAMOUS TREE THAT STOOD IN LARRY'S FRONT YARD (WITH UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES I MIGHT ADD).

· SOME SCHOOL MORNINGS WERE SPENT CHECKING OUT MITZI CONSTANTINE GOING TO QUEEN'S SCHOOL WITH MRS. JOHNSTON. YES....YOU GUESSED RIGHT, SHE LATER BECAME MISS. JAMAICA AND ADDED SEAGA TO HER NAME.

· MOST SUNDAYS WE WOULD ALL GATHER IN MY DAD'S CAR AND GO TO THE BEACH, AND IT WAS ALWAYS THE RULE THAT LARRY AND RICHARD COULD NOT GO UNLESS THEY HAD BEEN TO CHURCH.

LARRY WAS LIKE A BROTHER TO ME, AND, FOR GOOD OR BAD, HAD A GREAT INFLUENCE ON MY GROWING UP, PRIOR TO AND DURING THOSE TEENAGE YEARS. WE ALWAYS JOKED THAT FOR SOME REASON MR. & MRS. JOHNSTON SOMETIMES THOUGHT I WAS NOT NECCESSARILY THE BEST INFLUENCE ON LARRY, BUT WHAT THEY DID NOT KNOW IS THAT LARRY WAS THE ONE TEACHING ME A LOT OF THINGS.

WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD, I RECALL LARRY INTRODUCING ME TO CIGARETTES, WHICH I BELIEVE HE GOT FROM CLIVE FIDDLER, AND HIS TELLING ME HOW TO INHALE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE BECAME SICK TO OUR STOMACHS AND DIZZY AS CAN BE. AS WE ALL KNOW, GOING FORWARD, LARRY NEVER SMOKED.

THEN, LARRY WAS AMONG THE FIRST OF US TO EXPERIENCE HIS FIRST KISS. THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE. WE ALL QUIZZED HIM ON THE EXPERIENCE AND HIS RESPONSE WAS MEMORABLE. HE DESCRIBED IT AS BEING A NEW FORM OF TUG-O-WAR. IT WAS A BIT HARD TO COMPREHEND AT THE TIME, BUT I WON'T SAY ANYMORE!!

THEN THERE WAS THE TIME LARRY WENT TO MR. WALKER, (THE WOLMERS HEADMASTER AT THE TIME) TO ASK PERMISSION TO LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY. TO PUT THIS INTO CONTEXT, LARRY AND MICHAEL ANDERSON RELIGOUSLY LEFT SCHOOL EARLY WITHOUT PERMISSION, SO IT WAS ODD, TO SAY THE LEAST, TO NOW GO TO THE HEADMASTER FOR PERMISSION.

WELL, MR. WALKER'S RESPONSE WAS "MR. JOHNSTON...YOU ALWAYS LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY, AND, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION, SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE? WHY COME TO ME?"

DESPITE THIS, LARRY DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AT WOLMERS IN SPORTS PLAYING FOOTBALL, TENNIS AND HOCKEY. HE ALSO EXCELLED AT TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETICS REPRESENTING WOLMERS IN HIGH JUMP, LONG JUMP, HOP-STEP AND JUMP, AND THE RELAY EVENT. AND HIS ACADEMICS WERE KEPT IN CHECK BY THE WATCHFUL EYE OF BETTY, HIS MOTHER, WHO AS WE ALL KNOW WAS A TEACHER BY PROFESSION. AND FOR THIS WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD.

THEN THERE WAS THE TIME WHEN LARRY AND MICHAEL WONG ( WHO TO THIS DAY IS STILL CALLED "SCAMP", A NAME GIVEN TO HIM BY MR. JOHNSTON) DECIDED, ON A WHIM, TO GO TO MONTEGO BAY BY DIESEL TO VISIT SOME PEACE CORPS FRIENDS WHO HAD LIVED IN COLLINS GREEN. THIS WAS DECIDED WITHOUT ANY PERMISSION FROM THEIR PARENTS. AT THE RAILWAY STATION DOWN BY WEST STREET, THEY MET A TAXI DRIVER WHO HAD COME FROM MOBAY TO PICK UP SOMEONE BUT COULD NOT FIND HIM. LARRY WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE MAN THAT HE COULD RELAX IN THE BACK OF HIS TAXI WHILE HE, LARRY, DROVE THE TAXI BACK TO MONTEGO BAY. WELL SOONER OR LATER BOTH PARENTS LEARNED WHERE THEY WERE AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THE OUTRAGE. LARRY RECENTLY RECALLED HOW SCARED HE WAS OF THE FATE THAT AWAITED HIM AT HOME, WHILE ON THE COUNTRY BUS BACK TO KINGSTON.

AT IBM, LARRY WAS WELL KNOWN. HE REMARKED ONCE THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY BUSINESS CARDS AS EVERYONE KNEW WHO HE WAS. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AT IBM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WAS HIS BEING ON A TEAM THAT SERVICED A PROJECT AT THE HEDONISM RESORT IN NEGRIL, AND REQUIRED HIS BEING THERE EVERY WEEKEND FOR QUITE A LONG PERIOD. BEING A LOYAL IBM'ER, HE WAS HAPPY TO GIVE UP HIS WEEKENDS TO WORK. THAT WAS HOW DEDICATED A PERSON HE WAS.

ALONG THE WAY THERE WERE MANY OTHER ADVENTURES, WHICH LARRY REFERRED TO AS “MISSIONS.” HE WAS VERY INVOLVED IN MOTOR RALLYS AND OFTEN TOLD US ABOUT THE TIME WHEN HE OVERTOOK A VEHICLE ON FLAT BRIDGE. INCLUDED IN THE “MISSIONS” WERE FREQUENT TRIPS TO OCHIE, MOBAY, NEGRIL AND BLUE HOLE.

THOSE WERE ALSO PEACE CORPS DAYS AND LEIGHTON POWELL AND RICHIE WONG FOUND THEIR WIVES IN THAT GROUP AND ARE BOTH STILL HAPPILY MARRIED WITH SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN.

CHARLIE MURRAY REMINDED ME THAT EACH YEAR A GROUPOF THEM WOULD GO SNOW-SKIING, AND IN THE EARLY DAYS WHEN LARRY WAS LEARNING TO SKI, ONCE WHEN TAKING THE CHAIR LIFT HE EXPECTED IT TO STOP FOR HIM TO SIT DOWN AND THEN CARRY ON.. AND WAS SHOCKED WHEN THE CHAIR SLAPPED HIM BEHIND HIS KNEES AND LEFT HIM FLAT ON HIS BACK!!

THERE WERE ALSO MANY NIGHTS OF GOING TO THE DISCOS IN KINGSTON, AND THE GANG WOULD STOP AT DEVON HOUSE TO HAVE “DEVON DUPPIES” AS THE WARM UP DRINK BEFORE GOING TO EPIPHANY NIGHT CLUB. HOWEVER, THAT EVENTUALLY STARTED TO BECOME EXPENSIVE AND SO LARRY INVENTED THE “HAINING GHOST” (NAMED AFTER HIS CONDO WHERE HE LIVED AT 11 HAINING MEWS) AND WE WOULD HAVE A FEW “HAINING GHOSTS” AT HIS CONDO BEFORE HITTING THE CLUBS.

OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, LARRY, SCAMP, EDDIE WHITELOCKE, MICHAEL ANDERSON AND MYSELF, HAD BEEN TALKING EVERY YEAR OF HAVING A REUNION IN GRAND CAYMAN. WELL WE NEVER DID GET THERE, BUT WE TRAVELLED TO MONTREAL 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO HIS PASSING TO HAVE OUR REUNION. SCAMP, EDDIE AND MYSELF (MICHAEL COULD NOT MAKE IT) SPENT 2 DAYS WITH LARRY JUST AFTER WE GOT THE NEWS OF HIS ILLNESS, AND PERHAPS IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST 2 DAYS WE HAVE EVER SPENT. WITH THE 4 OF US THERE IN TANYA'S LIVING ROOM, WE RECOGNIZED THE COMBINED 250 YEARS OF OUR FRIENDSHIP AND HOW AWESOME IT WAS.

WE REMINISCED ABOUT OUR CHILDHOOD AND OUR TEENAGE YEARS. WE TALKED AND LAUGHED ABOUT GIRLS;THE TROUBLE WE GOT INTO; THE "TROJANS" VOLLEYBALL TEAM WE HAD PLAYED FOR; OUR FIRST LOVES (SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TODAY); OUR PARENTS; PLAYING DOMINOES UNDER THE INFAMOUS BLACKIE MANGO TREE;THE MANY NIGHTS WE SPENT SITTING ON THE ROAD JUST CHATTING AND HAVING FUN; HIS YEARS AT IBM AND HIS MANY CAYMAN EXPERIENCES. WE ALL TALKED ABOUT OUR FAMILIES AND HOW BLESSED WE WERE TO HAVE OUR CHILDREN BECOME THE YOUNG PEOPLE THEY ARE. WE LISTENED INTENTLY AS LARRY TALKED WITH TEARFUL PRIDE ABOUT GREGORY AND TANYA; WHAT A GREAT FRIEND AND MOTHER DONNA HAD BEEN ALL THESE YEARS; AND HOW LUCKY HE WAS TO HAVE HAD SHIRLEY- MAY IN HIS LIFE; AND HOW MUCH HE LOVED HIS BROTHER RICHARD AND HIS SISTER PETA-GAY. WE TALKED ABOUT CATCHING UP AGAIN IN GRAND CAYMAN NEXT YEAR; BUT, WE LEFT THERE SADLY KNOWING THAT THIS WAS PROBABLY OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR GETTING TOGETHER.

TO LARRY'S FAMILY, WE EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES FOR HIS SUDDEN DEPARTURE. TO RICHARD, PETA-GAY, SONJA, DONNA, TANYA, GREGORY, SHIRLEY-MAY AND ALL THE EXTENDED FAMILY, WE WILL MISS HIM GREATLY.

LARRY....OUR FRIEND....GOD BLESS YOU.