Larry Blackman regularly attended the First Baptist Church Jackson Samson Society meetings throughout a number of those initial (outset) years ('14-'16). He was separated from his wife at the time. She was in Michigan, and he was here. They were a childless couple who both loved music. In fact, from what I vaguely remember, Larry's passion for music served to indirectly promulgate his eventual need (crisis) for Samson Society.
I haven't seen, heard nor thought about Larry 'till earlier today. Mr. Don Waller was kind enough to loop some of us Metro Jackson Samson "old timer" guys into a depressing update that came from Larry directly to him.
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The thing I remember most about Larry is he was never not smiling. To the point of being giddy (or high). Whether we were in a Samson meeting or at an after meeting, he seemed overjoyed to simply be there with us. The second thing I remember about Larry was his brilliance. He was an engineer by trade, working at a sizable corporate outfit (branch) here in the Magnolia State. You could always tell his processor was spinning at a much faster rpm than your typical Mississippi redneck (me).
Thirdly, Larry was always, always asking questions of whomever was within earshot. And these weren't overly personal questions like I tend to ask, but questions that were more philosophical in nature (grounded in generalities). I could never tell if he simply was avoiding being probed (via his provocative chattiness), or if he truly was innately curious as to how others around him might respond to his seemingly endless inquiries.
I can tell you, having known other engineers (from out of state) who landed here as he did, within the butt crack of America, most of those were / are just as uniquely peculiar as Larry.
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My fondest memory of Larry was his presence at the 2015 Samson Society Okatoma rafting trip. A perfectly scaled group of us Samson guys went down for an overnight (Saturday) trip, enjoying a day of rafting that summer afternoon. Larry and I were both in one-man kayaks (you can choose either a kayak or canoe) on the river, and this was to our advantage due to the fact that we got caught in a thunderstorm. He and I raced downstream throughout the squall as all the other boaters (hundreds) took shelter along the banks. Once we reached the exit point, he and I waited together for quite a while as our crew eventually caught up to us. By then, the storm had long passed. I can still remember my being amazed at how much speed this diminutive dude was able to achieve throughout that unexpected drama. I'm here to tell you, Larry was FAST.
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So, what prompted Larry to reemerge today, via his digital communication with Mr. Don Waller?
It was his sweet wife's unexpected death that served to motivate. Here's what he shared with Don:
Hi Don! I thought I’d send this obituary to you since you’ve been very important to me and my wife, and your key role in our healing.I lost my wife last week in an unexpected, but medical way, last week. It was not the result of her chronic conditions, but is an emotionally wrenching mystery. I’m just emerging from the shock, and have faced dehydration just from tears alone. I know God works things in certain ways, but the hurt is now spread over the myriad fragments of my broken heart and the silence where my music once was. Thank you for being my inspiration during a difficult period in my life; still, the unimaginable grief I’m in ha [sic] exceeded all of my life’s experience.I hope that all is going well for you with Samson activities and your family. Tirzah and I really intended to get our Christmas cards going last week; now there’s just this void; I’m bridging it with keeping busy and talks with friends/ family. Maybe God is calling me for something, but my tears are obscuring my vision on a regular basis. Perhaps the music will recover soon ...Merry Christmas and absolutely sincere regards,Miss you!Larry (big ler, Lars)Don, you can share this with the guys, particularly those who may remember that kayak trip picture you sent back in March.Sincerely yours,Larry
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Please remember Larry, through my memories or via your own, and please pray for him as he grieves this terrible loss during the holidays. (He's the Samson brother wearing the sunglasses in the photos below.)
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