Larry Harris, a long time crossing guard in the City of Glendora has passed away at the age of 73.
He was affectionately know as Mr. Larry to the children who he kept protected and watched over each and every school day.
Memorial at Loraine Ave and Bennett Ave for Mr. Larry
Mr. Larry’s last post was near Sellers Elementary School on Loraine Ave and Bennett Ave. Passing by, you will notice a chair and make shift memorial that families and staff have created in his honor.
Mr. Larry was presented with the ‘Honorary Service Award’ from the Sellers PTA and named Glendora’s “Crossing Guard of the Year” in May, 2016.
Upon receiving news of his passing, GCN was contacted by numerous families and the great loss was clearly felt throughout our community. Additional memorials may be at other schools in our district as well, where he was also known and will be missed.
The following is an obituary shared from a friend of his, Cathie Lou Parker.
Lawrence L. Harris
1943-2017
Lawrence L. Harris of Glendora passed away on January 28, 2017. He was 73 years old.
Born in 1943 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, he attended University High School in Santa Monica and graduated from Palm Springs High School. He set track records at College of the Desert and attended Cal State Los Angeles.
Photo of Larry Harris provided to GCN by his family
He joined the Navy, becoming a medic serving a Marine company that fought in the Battle of Khe Sahn and during the Tet Offensive. He received the Presidential Unit Citation.
He met his wife Deborah Gould when they worked for the Palisades-Malibu YMCA. They wed in 1980 and have two children, son Seth and daughter Darya.
After serving in various director positions for Foothill Family YMCA and Pasadena Metropolitan and within YMCA Metropolitan Los Angeles, he served as Executive Director of the Hemophilia Foundation of Southern California for a short while.
From holding a position at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, Mr. Harris moved on to the Jewish Federations of Greater El Paso, then of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. He retired in 2008 as Executive Director of the Jewish Federation Eastern Region serving the communities in the San Gabriel Valley.
He became a volunteer “White Suiter” with the Tournament of Roses in 1981 and continued with the Tournament for 26 years. He also volunteered for Arcadia Invitational track meets for several years.
He and Deborah became owners of the Village Book Shop in Glendora Village in 2005. The store was much more than a retail business by hosting community forums and arts events until it closed in 2012.
In 2008, Mr. Harris became known as “Mr. Larry” to many Glendora schoolchildren he guided safely across city streets as a crossing guard. He was awarded the “Crossing Guard of the Year” in 2016. His last assignment was at Sellers School, where the PTA has organized a website for meals and donations for his family at www.mealtrain.com/trains/4dd207.
The Harris’ religious home is Temple Beth Israel in Pomona.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project and other veterans’ aid organizations.
