December - 2003

Reporter - Carolyn Hoppes

It all started when Larry's father decided he wanted a better life for his family. He made the decision to come to America from Italy like so many other immigrants. Larry's parents settled in the Oakland area where he grew up as a child. He attended grammar school. Hoover Jr. High and went on to Oakland Technical High School.

At an early age Larry liked to fix things. His special passion was electronics. When I asked him what kind of student he was, he answered, "I signed up for every shop and electronics class they offered. That was the only part of school I really liked." I asked Larry if he played sports in high school. "Nope," he replied. "I was always behind the scenes. I would rig the lighting for the night games and set up the sound system for the sports casters. I also worked with the stage crews managing the lights and scenery. I loved being back stage and behind the scenes." Because of his talents, Larry became a teacher's pet. When anything needed fixing they called Larry. It was no surprise that he got a part-time job after school at a TV repair shop.

A cute dark haired girl named Emily caught Larry's eye in high school. Her parents were very strict. No dates unless a chaperone went along. So, one of Emily's girlfriends, Dana, became their chaperone. Tired of a threesome, Larry convinced his friend Tommy to come along to keep Dana company. Foster's Freeze was one of their favorite hangouts. Tommy and Dana became a couple, but Tommy proved to be an unreliable boyfriend. He was often late or didn't show up at all. On these occasions Larry would try to cheer Dana up.

One day Dana found herself alone on her birthday. Both Emily and Tommy were out of town. Larry didn't want Dana to spend the day alone. So, he offered to take her "Dutch Treat" to the theater and dinner in San Francisco. That was the start of something special between the two of them. They began to spend more time together. While they were still both in high school, Larry and Dana told their parents they were going on a snow trip to Reno. Instead, they eloped and got married. They agreed to keep their marriage a secret until after graduation. But, when Dana got home she couldn't keep the secret. She told her parents. Both sets of parents were very upset. However, in the end, they realized how much Larry and Dana loved each other. Larry said that looking back he was glad they had decided to elope because that spring he lost his father and Dana lost hers. At least both fathers got to see that their kids were happily married and starting a new life together.

Dana's path led her into nursing and she graduated from Fairmont Nursing School. Larry got a job as a courier for East Bay Mud. When he got a better job offer he went to work for the Kaiser Steel Corporation. As a courier for them, he often carried sensitive government documents. He became manager of the mailroom, manager of office services and moved into sales. He finally retired from Kaiser Steel after 27 years. Unfortunately 4 years into retirement Kaiser Steel went bankrupt and Larry lost his pension. Larry and Dana managed a Catholic Retreat in Oakland for several years. Here, Larry befriended a retired army cook who prepared all the meals. Larry was amazed that this Hungarian army cook could prepare such delicious meals for hundreds of people at one time. He got Larry interested in cooking and would tell Larry his trade secrets while they shared a late night cup of coffee. Today you will often see Larry in the kitchen helping with Saturday breakfast at the Tropics. "I'm strictly an egg and sausage man", Larry declared. "I'll leave the pancake flipping to someone else!"

Larry also managed a 60-unit condo and was business manger for a local parish in Milpitas. He is definitely a man of many talents that include raising a daughter, Debi and a son Steve. Larry and Dana are not only grandparents but also great-grandparents. Larry says he can't believe that his little girl is now a grandmother. He enjoys bringing all the kids to the Tropics pool for a swim. He also plays "Mr. Fixit" for his daughter and her friends in his spare time. Larry belongs to the Hayward PC Community. This is a group that repairs computers and then gives them to kids and seniors who can't afford one. They only have to pay a small licensing fee. I've convinced Larry that he should come to our computer Club at the Tropics and he promised he would.

Larry also loved the summers he spent at Clear Lake where they had a vacation cabin. He loved to go boating on the lake with his friends. His best friend. Bob, decided to create the Clear Lake Yacht Club. While no one really owned a boat that would qualify as a yacht, they still had fun. One year Bob decided to hold a Clear Lake Yacht Club Regatta. They tied all the pontoon boats together. Everyone prepared their favorite dishes and beverages and they all walked from boat to boat sampling some great food and visiting with fellow yacht club members. Larry loved Clear Lake but loved the people even more.

I really enjoyed chatting with Larry and I want to thank him for letting me put him in the spotlight. After all he is really a behind the scenes kind of guy. But I'm not convinced that's true. I think Larry has more than enough talent to take center stage!

-Carolyn Hoppes