Obituary of Lowrance “Larry” Swayze

Lowrance Adams Swayze Born December 10, 1926 Died April 19, 2012 Pomfret - Lowrance "Larry" Swayze, son of Francis and Hazel (Blacklock) Swayze, passed away after a short illness surrounded by family at Day Kimball Hospital on the evening of Thursday, April 19th. He is survived by his wife Judith of Pomfret, his son John and wife Melissa of Dudley, MA, his son Dana and wife Rachel of Woodstock and their son Jacob, and nephew Galliehue Blevins and fiancée Jennifer Warner of Danielson. He was predeceased by his brother William Henry. Lowrance was born in New Haven and grew up in the Stamford area until he moved to Pomfret in 1946, where he remained for the rest of his life. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the Army Air Corps in the Philippines, and he later joined the Merchant Marine. He worked at Risom Manufacturing in North Grosvenordale for many years and later worked for the State of Connecticut in the Department of Labor's Apprentice Training Division, retiring in 1992. Outside of his career, he also greatly enjoyed writing children's stories for his sons, cultivating rhododendrons and azaleas, woodworking, growing and listening to his extensive record collection, attending book sales, reading, and doing crossword puzzles; but his greatest enjoyment came from spending time with his grandson Jacob. He volunteered constantly, primarily at Pomfret Community School as an RSVP library volunteer and at Our Lady of La Salette in Brooklyn as a friend of the parish for many fundraisers. Lowrance was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan until 1957 when the team moved to California, whereupon he became an ardent fan of the Red Sox. He was also a stalwart Celtics and Patriots fan. In his younger days he was an avid golfer, bowler, and dart ball player. A memorial service will be held at Our Lady of La Salette in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 28th at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow the service in the church function hall. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Connecticut chapter of the Nature Conservancy or the Connecticut Audubon Society in Pomfret. To share a memory "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com