To Larry’s family & dear friends: Larry & I were roommates in 1976-77 while at Emerson. We shared a fourth floor apartment at 17 Gloucester with a few other friends, including old frat buddy Scott Dunlap. As you all know, one of the wonderful things about Larry was his sense of humor & tremendous laugh. With this in mind, here is one story I recall fondly of our dear friend.
One summer weekend, Larry, Scott and I, along with my girlfriend Jody (& now wife of 40 years) decided to head over to Martha’s Vineyard for a fun 24 hour sojourn. We piled into Larry’s (phone color green) AMC Gremlin, or maybe Hornet, and headed to the ferry. Fast forward to a sunny Saturday exploring the island shops and stopping for a couple of adult beverages, we enjoyed a nice dinner in Edgartown before heading to Gay Head for a nice sleep on the beach under the stars. No hotel with a fridge needed. This was the 70’s. A sleeping bag & a cooler was all one required. This area today is now referred to as Aquinnah.
Waking up to a beautiful sunrise that Sunday morning, we found the ocean some 200 yards in front of us and the beach to ourselves. We contemplated our options; a walk on the beach or head to the Black Dog for breakfast. My girl Jode, a water-bug & excellent swimmer, chose to stay behind to sunbath while ‘da boys’ headed down island for a hearty breakfast before coming back to pack up and catch the ferry. Post meal & much appreciated coffee 90 minutes later, we headed back to our spot on the beach, and what a surprise. As Jode lay dosing on a blanket wearing a cute bikini, our eyes widened as we realized the beach was now fairly busy with many sun worshippers….all naked!!! As we woke Jode & said time to head out, as in immediately, Larry let out a belly laugh and said, “so this must be Zachs beach. Guess we’re a day late.”
Larry attended our wedding in 1980. I last saw Larry in 2010 a couple of years before we moved to South Carolina. I was transitioning into a new corporate real estate role with CBRE & we had a nice lunch together downtown. We reminisced about the good old days at Emerson and everything that had transpired in the 30 years since. We laughed about the beach surprise. As we parted, a big bear hug & handshake, we said lets stay in touch. I miss my old friend, and send our love & prayers to Larry’s family. RIP Rask. I’ll see you on the other side. TD