Larry was my best friend growing up in Flomaton. He taught me to play guitar and would draw pictures of chords and "secretly" pass them to me during class. He was of course the best musician in our high school Rock n Roll band, THE DARK AGES. To this day I am playing songs  he taught me. We played our last gig at the TELSTAR drive in on top of Nolin's hill in 1967. We worked on our cars together...his we nicknamed  "Ralph"..a Chevy Impala...mine "The Pink Phantom"...a 57 Chevy. He taught me all about CB radios and I remember his call sign today.  Good bye KKN 3457.....you were the best.

I have known and loved my cousin, Larry, since he was born. We spent every summer together in Flomaton and almost every week on the beaches of Pensacola and Santa Rosa island. Larry was always ready for adventure and quick to see the humor in every situation. We would be daredevils together, riding our bikes down Rose hill hoping a car didn’t hit us as we crossed at breakneck speed. We would play cowboys and Indians or Robin Hood behind the azalea shrubs at his house. We would beg his mom to keep us supplied with “Shake-O-Malt” until we practically bankrupted the family. Larry loved the Polly parrot my great grandmother kept, often displaying him in the front yard on Paladin St. Larry would try to get Polly to say, “What’s up, Doc?” He could imitate all the Loony Tunes characters to perfection.
    Larry was a person of great character.  He was loyal to me, standing up to his male friends and he was a good friend to others.
    At adolescence his musical talents emerged. In short time he taught himself to play guitar as well as professional musicians such as Chet Atkins. His daughter seems to have inherited the Marasso musical talent, as did Larry’s sister, Suzanne.
I am so grateful he was my cousin and have to admire his choice for a wife, Maria.

This is such a shock to us. MARIA and family we are so saddened to hear of Larry's passing....we pray for comfort and strength during this difficult time...Carrie we are praying for you and your family.....we are thinking of you....we hope to see you on Saturday...

   I met Larry in 1989 when I started at 911 Dispatch. We became friends right away. But who didn't when they met Larry? 
   We talked about everything. We had a common interest in stereo music and later music concerts. We traded and talked about many different musicians.  At work we lived through so many people and events. After we both retired we still traded music disks. 
   One of many stories I will never forget is once when a storm passed through and we lost radios  and power, Larry came down and went to the generator. Then there was a huge lightning strike that hit (near ) the building. I thought for sure he was where the bolt hit. Even though we were busy, I ran out of the room to the generator, fearing the worse. Instead I almost ran smack  into him, coming down the hall back to dispatch! He was as scared as I was! We could only laugh about it later,.... much later.

   He taught me  about the radio system and even trusted me to "reset some breakers" for him sometimes.  Seems like nothing but it meant a lot to me.  
  We enjoyed a lot of concerts and plays that his daughter played in bands with.  I felt so proud to be invited to Carrie's wedding. And of course meeting Maria. He always kept me updated on  both of their adventures.

  There is so much more, so many stories, so many memories. I still use a coffee cup he gave me. The little things. You never know when you are making a memory.


OBITUARY

Julius Larry Sims

November 17, 1948 – May 16, 2021

Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens

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