Larry Mason Lawrence Patrick Smith
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Memorial Mass for Larry Mason Lawrence Patrick Smith, 82, Lawrence will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 5, 2021 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Larry was born on November 11, 1938, to Ethan Smith and Ruth Parry. Larry lived in Lawrence his entire life and loved being a part of the Lawrence community.
Larry had two careers during his lifetime. He owned and operated Smith Moving alongside his brother Ethan (“Smitty”), when Larry was just a sophomore at KU, followed by a successful career selling for McGrew Real Estate until his retirement in 1994. He was an avid sports fan and lover of all things KU. His passions included fishing, hunting and ballpark baseball. He was an amazing storyteller, a faithful friend and had an incredible love for animals, especially his beloved dog, Kizzie. On a good day, you could find Larry cooking up cajun creations and listening to Motown. Larry was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and a lifelong member of St. John the Evangelist Church. He enjoyed taking communion to others. His servitude and loyalty were humbling.
Larry was preceded in death by both parents, his brother and his infant son Gregg. Larry’s greatest treasures were his devoted wife, Jewel, of 43 years, and his daughters, Tracy (Terry) of Overbrook, KS, Kelly (Phil) of Pilot Point, TX, Dana (Derk) of Lawrence; grandchildren Brandon (Sarah), Cayden, Colton, Tyler, Macy, Raef, Tate and great granddaughter Virginia. He is survived by all.
A very heartfelt thank you to Monterey Village, Bridge Haven and Hospice for the compassionate care that they so generously gave to Larry.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Family Promise or Lawrence Humane Society and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W 13th St, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Jewel,
You and family are in our thoughts and prayers. I loved how he loved to fish and take his boat out. He was a great help for our one neighborhood garage sale and brought us lunch. Larry was an amazing neighbor and friend. He will be missed. Love, Sidney and Tod
Couldn’t be a more perfect picture of Larry.
My heart aches for all of you in his passing.
I am so blessed to have shared “front door” neighbor status with you, Jewel, and Larry, here in our Cottages hood.
Though too brief, I had the honor to know him as the gentle giant he was.
Always available forward, Jewel, whatever the need.
May Larry live on in eternal peace.
May Peace and God’s great comfort hold you close in the difficult days forward.
Larry’s friendly manner, smile and sense of humor come to mind instantly. What a dear man! His love for family and friends was evident and he was so loved and cared for. Love to you!!
Larry and I go back to our first days at McGrew with lots of memories. Larry will be missed by many and be remembered for eternity. May he rest in peace
Jewel and family:
I am sad to hear of your loss of Larry. May your memories comfort you in this difficult time.
Virginia Sayler
I was so sad to hear of Larry’s passing. He was such a kind and compassionate person! He will be missed by all of us in The Cottages! My heart goes out to you Jewel!
When a next door neighbor moves away and new neighbors move in you can only hope they will be good people! I couldn’t have been more fortunate than to get to know Larry and Jewel over the past number of years!
I will miss seeing Larry sitting on the front porch with radio close by listening to the Royals or the Chiefs games. Such a kind man who always wanted to pet my dogs as we walked by.
Larry had a keen wit about him and shared it often. As his illness took over the wit didn’t falter for quite some time. Conversing with Larry was always easy and enjoyable.
He will be sorrily missed by his family and those who were lucky enough to know him, including me!
With Condolences to Jewel and family.
Maureen Bernhagen
Jewel –
Such a wonderful picture of Larry. The way we like to remember him. He was a good friend for over 50 years. I always enjoyed our visits at the HOA pool. He held a lot of Lawrence history and was always eager to share.
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. He will be missed.
Dear Jewel & Family, I am sorry to hear of your loss of Larry. He was such a kind man with whimsical sense of humor. Whenever I saw him he was always smiling. May his memories give you strength and comfort during this difficult time.
Larry was just a damn good fella . He ranked high in my people book . Larry loved his tomato’s that I and my family supplied for 40 years . He came from the same hood and I knew and was fond of his brother. We shared a lot of habits … hunting , fishing , and tomato eating . I will surely miss him . Phil Hodson.
Larry was always a gentleman. I enjoyed getting to know him through ballpark baseball. Our thoughts are with you.
I will never forget Larry’s kindness. My first home in Lawrence on Tennessee street was owned by Larry and when, as a young, first time buyer , we didn’t have the full down payment- Larry let us pay him the difference over time. . Amazing. What a super way to get to know the heartbeat of Lawrence. I’ve never forgotten that and I smile when I think of him. So sorry for your loss.
Sure miss playing and talking about ballpark baseball with Larry. Glad I saw him one more time last month.
Jewel and Dana,
I’m thinking of you and all the wonderful memories you have of Larry. I will always admire Larry for his acceptance of all things, taking life in stride and always moving forward. What a beautiful soul. May he rest in peace. Love you all. Diane
Samuel Family
To our beautiful family. You are forever in our hearts. Larry I have nothing but beautiful memories to cherish for a lifetime. We love you all.
Larry shone brightly in our lives. When he would spot us at Mass, he always gave a nod, a smile. He always made the effort to stop and visit. He will be remembered and missed. The love between you and Larry was such a good example for us. Jim and Carol Buchheister
So sorry for your loss Jewel. Thinking of you during this time. Please know you are in my prayers.
Much Love.
Larry was such a kind, gentle soul and I still miss seeing him on your porch. He’s in God’s hands now but all of us in the Cottages will miss his smile and wit. I will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers!
Dear Jewel and family. I’m sorry to know of Larry’s passing. I always think of his humor and understanding of people. He was a great friend to many and I enjoyed him as client at Neu PT. I also enjoyed seeing him at Brandon Woods serving parishioners. PS. I also enjoyed singing in choir with you Jewel at Free Methodist church. susan mayo
Jewel Tracy Kelley Dana
Please accept Sharon & My heartfelt condolences. The passing of Larry will cause a piece of our lives missing.
May Peace be with y’all during these tough times
I knew Larry in the early 60’s when I was a teacher in Lawrence. He was a really nice guy. My sympathy to his wife, daughters, and grandchildren.
Nancy Dannevik Boston
Our family sat near Larry and Jewel every Sunday evening Mass for years. They both were such positive role models for our children growing up. So kind-hearted and great senses of humor. I miss those days and am sad we won’t see Larry again. God bless your family!
It takes a strong man with great patience and sense of humor to take 3 young girls on a trip to California!! What a wonderful Dad, husband and human. Praying for peace and strength for you all. Hugs
I knew Larry and Jewel when i was younger and have not seen them in years, but i vividly remember how friendly and kind they were to me. At a time in my life when things were tough they both treated me with kindness I never forgot. We are sincerely sorrowful for Jewel and hope the best for her in the future. Maybe we will reconnect with Jewel in the future.
Dear Jewel and family, I’m so sorry to learn of Larry’s passing. Larry was a wonderful man, always had a smile! He was a good friend to me and helped me with several real estate transactions. His two daughters, Tracy and Kelly were friends with my daughter Kim. He will be missed.
We are so sorry to hear of Larry’s passing. Our hearts go out to Jewel and his family, but we know he will live on in so many people’s hearts, including theirs, forever. He was kind and eager to share his experienced knowledge with you about so many things if you asked for his advice, which we did on a couple of occasions. He will be greatly missed, but he leaves an example of the best of humanity to all who knew him.
Valerie & Craig Foos
Jewel and family,
We are so sorry to hear that Larry passed away! He was always so cheerful, friendly and spoke when you would see him. Larry was our realtor and helped us find our first home when we moved to Lawrence in the late 70’s. He was a good person and friend.Thoughts and prayers to you Jewel and family at this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace!
Love, Mary Lou and Ed
Jewel, Tracey, Kelly, Dana and family;
Words are simply not enough to express our love for (uncle) Larry and you all! We pray for his peace. We rejoice in all that he shared so gallantly with his family, friends and beloved fur friends;
Love to you all!
The Watson Family
Jewel and family,
We are so sorry to hear of your loss. Our prayers are with you.
Jewel,
My deepest sympathies. So sorry for your loss. Peace be with you and family. Love and hugs, Judy
Jewel,
I am so sorry for you loss. Thinking of you at this difficult time and sending love and prayers.
I am saddened to hear of Larry’s passing. He brought me communion when I was recuperating from a long hospital stay.
I so looked forward to his visits.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he Rest In Peace . Amen
Georgine McHenry
Jewel and family—I cannot imagine anyone knowing Larry and not loving him. As people have said, he was a genuine friend to everyone. May you cherish the precious memories of your life with Larry knowing he rests with his heavenly father.