Larry Taylor - Fort Worth, TX

Back in the spring of 1996 I started attending a recovery group in town where I lived and was immediately welcomed by a drama teacher.

Larry Taylor had great one-liners, mined in the fields of teaching for so many years as well as being a foster parent. He was kind-hearted, compassionate, gentle, and had great intuition.

I recently found out he passed away from a heart attack, something he had suffered from before. He was one who always put others' needs before his own, right up to his death probably.

After meetings on Friday or Saturday nights often there would be poker parties at his house. Those who didn't want to play cards would watch movies and the night was always lively.

He always made sure people knew they were appreciated like the time one of our regulars decorated the group as he always did in Martha Stewart-like perfection and Larry made mention of him at the podium as he gestured to the dazzling Christmas tree.

"This is what the tree would look like in heaven if God was gay and had money," Larry joked.

Another time we got a new member who was a hot blond and before introducing her one night at the podium again, Larry said, "Our next celebrant tonight is someone who upped the pretty factor in our group when she came in" much to the light-hearted dismay of the other female members.

I remember another time Larry was announcing our annual holiday dinner.

"Our Christmas dinner will be on Christmas day oddly enough," he told the group.

There was an extremely low point in my life back in 1999 when I was suicidal and I emailed Larry, something I did every once in awhile though I saw him at meetings regularly.

The spirituality and concern he exhibited toward me when I told him how I was feeling was something I'll never forget.

As is customary when you lose someone the memories come flooding back as to all the ways they affected your life, and this was certainly one of them.

Larry literally held the group together. It was always, "Well, Larry will do it or Larry will take care of it."

And who will do it now?

His absence leaves a hole in shoes that are tough to fill, to say the least.

Who will step up to the plate and carry on his legacy of giving, hard work, service to others, and community?

I remember a time when Larry was working at the group, repairing something as was his routine and he stopped for a bathroom break only to have his entire huge box of tools stolen while he was gone. He was the only one there and the location of the group was not in the best neighborhood to put it mildly. It was the middle of the day and he had left a door open to get some of the fresh spring air. It felt safe, anyway.

Larry was only 55 when he died - like so many, way too young. He happened to have died on my mom's birthday. His father passed away before him as did his brother. He used to talk about how his mother who is still living accepted his partner of many years, Tony. Larry is also survived by his son Stephen, many nieces and nephews, and grandchildren. A few years ago Larry and Tony took in a relative's baby to raise as their own.

Before that Tony got to play a part in one of Larry's drama class' productions locally.

To read some of the entries in Larry's guest book online at star-telegram.com, you can get a sense of the kind of person he was. (http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookID=1378808721872).

"I was a student of Mr. Taylor's at Northwest Middle School during my eighth grade year in the early 90s," reads one statement. "I will always remember him as a witty, intelligent man who truly cared about his students."

Another, dated Feb. 17 by Sterling Gafford, reads: "Larry, it was 'Mr. Taylor' back then, was the first person who ever allowed me to believe in my own talent. I was 14 and in his eighth grade theatre class. From then on I always felt a very strong connection to him. I was lucky to have such a teacher be so patient and believing in me. I am 26 now, and still whenever I dream and see myself at the peak of my own achievements, I always have it on the brain that 'Mr. Larry Taylor' would be one of the first I would want to thank. So I guess, in whatever way I can, I thank him and his friends, family and partner - none of which I ever got to meet - for nurturing a man who has been very special to me in my life. I am a better, richer person for having had Larry as my teacher/director/friend."

Dana Gaddy wrote: "Larry performed HIS work well by giving of himself so others could live and rediscover life."

Patricia Ryan of Arlington, TX, wrote that she had the privilege of knowing Larry as her son's sponsor.

"He was a good friend and he helped both my husband and I through some rough times," she said. "He was always there if we needed someone to talk to. He always had a sincere concern for our well-being. He will be missed by many."

I echo that last sentence as I remember the laughter and lightness that Larry brought to so many people's heavy hearts.