Larry Richard Little
On September 8th, 2008, Larry Richard Little died peacefully from complications of a collapsed lung. His wife of 25 years was bed side with him at their home in Frazier Park, CA, He was 66.
A potluck sunset remembrance gathering and ceremony will take place on Sunday, November 2nd from 3:00pm until 7:00pm, at the Chase Palm Park Center, 236 East Cabrillo Blvd.
Larry was a quiet man with a brilliant mind and a heart of gold. His love of humanity was clear no matter what activity he engaged in, which usually involved some form of a philosophic or spiritual pursuit that aided and improved others lives.
As a young man of the 1960s Larry, moved from his childhood home in Richmond, Indiana to Southern California, where he became involved in the civil rights movement, women’s liberation and, along with his sister and brother-in-law, boat building. He thrived in the new atmosphere, studying philosophy and various methods of self-help until the early 1970s when he discovered Dianetics and Scientology, which he studied intensely. In this field, he became a high-level counselor and leader, much respected and sought after by members of the Santa Barbara community where he lived from 1973 until 2002, except for five years starting in 1988 when he and his wife, Mary Lou, lived in Ojai, Ca.
Always looking for ways to create a larger community, Larry and business partner Carl Tolbert worked on addressing the affordable housing crisis in the Ojai region in the late 1980s and early 1990s by developing a real estate consultation service targeted at assisting in the home buying process.
Intellectually curious, Larry was first and foremost a philosopher in the classic Greek style. His love of discussion sometimes turned into lively debate. Whether one agreed or disagreed with Larry, it was difficult not to come away from a discussion with him without new perspectives and points of view.
Larry loved his friends with a quiet respect for the individual’s absolute right to choose his or her own path. He never betrayed a friendship nor disconnected from a friend. His steadfast devotion to people was one of his hallmarks that made him great. He lived a richly diverse life, mostly giving and helping others. He will be remembered for his steady gaze, his uncommon composure, his hearty laugh and his wise counsel.
Born February 27 1942, in Richmond, Indiana to Richard and Marzella Little, Larry is lovingly missed by his wife, and children David Anthony; Lauren and Peter Gillham; his grandchildren Yvonne; Nicole; Richard and Arthur; and his sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Larry Kendal.