Page created by: Tina Stokes

Larry, my dad, was very active in life before and after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He was generous, kind and caring and was always willing to help others. He loved animals of all kinds, especially his cats. He loved children and was very proud of his four grandchildren. He loved history, especially Revolutionary War and Civil War history. He loved to read anything from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings to history books. He loved to go to Waffle House with his best friend Mike, watch college football (Clemson), garden, go fishing, and ride his tractor around the yard as he cut the grass. He was shocked when he received his diagnosis, but it did not slow him down in the beginning. He continued to be active, take care of himself and my mom for several years. Due to him being very active and the current medications, he did not feel the full effects of Parkinson's for several years. The family took it for granted what this disease would do to him. As this horrible disease progressed, dad slowed down quite a bit. He struggled to get around and do simple things like go to the bathroom on his own. He became frustrated with not being able to do things he loved. His best friend Mike continued to take dad to Waffle House for breakfast whenever dad felt good. He struggled to remember people and affectionately called his son that was caring for him "that nice German guy". About 3 months before he passed, he went with his grandson to donate many of his books to an assisted living facility. His grandson commented that he was happy to share this experience with his Grandaddy because he seemed so happy to share his books with others. Shortly after this the disease took it's toll. He ended up in the hospital and that time robbed us of precious time. After more than 6 weeks in the hospital trying to fix the meds, he went to hospice. He had one day of being himself with joking and cutting up and then he went to sleep for 6 days and then passed peacefully.