I found out about Larry's death from the Folklore Village Newsletter -- somehow my e-mail address had been dropped from Paul Collins' list, or the message was lost during one of the University's server upgrades or crashes....

I was glad to read the tributes on the web site which Paul has established -- thank you Paul!!! -- and realize that I was not the only person who felt incredibly upset by his death.  (The word is still hard to use....)  He certainly had a huge influence on all of those around him, didn't he....?

Although I met Larry through folk dance, my most vivid memories of him are tied to other areas of dance and art.  He came to both of the weekend workshops in Swing Dance and Lindy Hop which I directed here at the University of Northern Iowa.  He would arrive late on Friday, usually after the evening dance, and stayed with us at our house.  I would offer him a snack and a beer or so.  His enthusiasm for the snacks -- leftovers from my husband Tom's delicious Indian cooking -- was delightful.  We would sit and talk until late, and I was very surprised to discover, when I mentioned something about my Dance History class assignments which I needed to grade, that his knowledge of and enthusiasm for dance extended far beyond ethnic forms!  He was frighteningly well acquainted with ballet, modern ballet in particular, and pronounced it "BAL-lay" with the accent on the first syllable, as the British and the most enthusiastic American balletomanes do.  He knew works, choreographers, styles, and individual performers and had very strong and well informed opinions, which he would share, or argue about, with equal enthusiasm.

His command of the arts touched us in another way.  The first time he stayed with us, he sat down at my husband's piano -- and this stream of incredible music poured forth!  He knew works of Brahms by heart -- he sight-read Bach from Tom's music books!  I still remember his silly grin when, during a lull in the concert, I inquired, in my most sophisticated way, "My gawd!  Where'dja learn tuh play like THAT?!?"  Later, my professional musician, music professor husband Tom quietly commented to me, "He could be a professional concert pianist."  (Coming from Tom, that's high praise indeed.)

Larry delighted in our cats, and thanked us for the feline acrobat entertainers which we provided to amuse him during his stays.  The cats delighted in Larry -- he was gentle, sensitive to them, and he knew just where to scratch.  Maybe animals have especially good bases for judging character.

Finally, I remember Larry as an occasional Swing/Lindy Hop partner at the workshops and the parties and, especially, I remember a wild, bluesy trio with me, Larry and a feather boa -- his dancing skill, his partnering, his imagination and his wild weird sense of humor....

Larry, you are missed.  I hope that, wherever you are, you are as appreciated as you were here.

Kathleen Kerr - Cedar Falls, Iowa
kerr@uni.edu