Top Row (L to R): Richard, Jimmy
Bottom Row (L to R): Larry, Ryan (Myself), and J’son
Location: New Orleans 2013
Earlier this month I found out that my friend Larry had passed away from cancer.
My first encounter with Larry was online in the ACB yahoo group. He was what I would call a pot stirrer. He liked to get people riled up and then watch what happened. I alternated from hating him to loving him, a person who I had never met.
We met for the first time at the NYC conference in 2006. I had quite the trip getting to the conference. I left my hotel and decided that I could walk thirty blocks to the GLBT center! On my way to the conference I was harassed by a homeless guy for money, I got lost, and I was going to meet an entire group of new people. When I made it upstairs Larry came up to me right away. Larry knew who I was and everything about me, but I had no clue who he was and he wasn’t giving me any clues. This was pre-facebook so I had no idea what Larry looked like. After a few more minutes of me being extremely uncomfortable Larry flashed that devilish grin and finally told me who he was.
After the NYC conference he recruited me to help plan the conference in Chicago. Chicago was a unique situation because the GLBT center was under construction and we were not sure that the building would be completed by the time of the conference. The building was finished just in time and the conference in Chicago was a huge success. Larry and I worked together for the next seven years planning ACB conferences.
Larry was never afraid of controversy. He always took the heat when we selected the next location of the conference. He was instrumental in financing, providing insurance, lowering the conference price, and keeping the conferences rolling. He helped myself and many others attend conferences. Whether it was sharing a hotel room, offering up a room in his house, or even sending some frequent flyer miles he wanted you at the conference. After working together for seven years we both had become burned out and stepped back from planning conferences. We had hoped that someone else would take the lead, but no one has yet.
At some point Larry and I had disconnected on facebook, and I had no idea that his cancer had gone terminal. My last text message to him was to let him know that I had to close the ACB checking account to keep the balance from going negative. His response was Okay, I understand. It seemed out of the ordinary and I wished that I would have called or texted him to find out what was going on. There is a deep sadness in my heart today. Larry was one of a kind he will be greatly missed. A copy of his obituary is below.
Larry Ray Kirkwood II was born on January 25, 1974 and passed away peacefully at home on November 6, 2019.
Larry Ray Kirkwood II is preceded in death by his father, Larry Ray Kirkwood I.
He is survived by his partner, Anton Khristyuk, of 16 years; Mother, Maribeth Kirkwood; Sister, Danna Kay Jackson (Spouse); by three nieces, one nephew; by his beloved pets, Saint, Chaandra, Spotifur, J.P., and Bobby.
He is also survived by numerous other loving family and friends that will miss him dearly.
Memorial Service was held at: 2615 Riverside Dr., Houston, Texas 77004