Our good friends, Ted & Naomi and Keith & Paula, have reminisced about their time with Larry at Oakland University. I met Larry earlier when I came to Fayetteville, Arkansas for graduate school and Larry came the same year as a new faculty member. I remember my first encounter with Larry—I was talking at the door of another University of Arkansas faculty member and bemoaning the impossibility of getting a bagel—so of course Larry chimed in as we discussed what a bagel should be like and that it is not a doughnut. I liked him immediately because as others have said he was smart, witty, and that gleam in his eye when he knew he was going to say something funny or outrageous. We bonded over the isolation of Saturdays if you were not in the football stands, of how we had hoped that the Woo ruff laundry in town added some cultural diversity until we realized the d had fallen out of the sign, and that malto meal is no substitute for matzo meal.
He was fun but he also had a sweet heart as I found out when I took my first graduate school class from Larry. I think it was called Psych diagnostics—we had a long essay test—my written test took up about ten pages---when I got my test back, there were no comments or a grade on the front of the blue book. I opened the bluebook and the first page had one word, “Good”, the next page “Excellent”, the next page “Incisive”, etc. each page had a one word superlative and none were repeated---Now imagine how that made me feel!
He also enjoyed if the tables were turned---Larry was doing a demonstration of systematic desensitization with a student volunteer---He was in one room and our class of about 8 students were in an adjoining room watching through a one way mirror. So we decided that when he came back into the room we would all close our eyes and act asleep---I remember his coming in, saying “They’re all asleep!” and laughing.
I like seeing Ted & Naomi’s / Keith & Paula’s comments on the “Larry” site and it brings back warm memories. I think he would like it that we are gathered together again and talking about him.
To his dear sons, Ben & Jean-Paul, their spouses, Ana & Julie and especially to his wife Vicky who fought so hard at the end to keep him here a little longer, we send our condolences.
From too much love of living,
From home and fear set free,
We thank with brief thanksgiving
Whatever gods may be
That no life lives forever;
That dead men rise up never;
That even the weariest river
Winds somewhere safe to sea.
Then star nor sun shall waken,
Nor any change of light:
Nor sound of waters shaken,
Nor any sound of sight:
Nor wintry leaves nor vernal,
Nor days nor things diurnal;
Only the sleep eternal
In an eternal night.
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Dena Scher