I learned of Larry Hoey's death with great shock and deep sadness.  Larry added zest to any folk dancing evening, workshop or practice.  When I was burned out and needed something different and left the Romanian ensemble, it was he who recruited me for Na Lesa Bulgarian ensemble and he is largely to credit (or Larry might've said "to blame") that I continued to enjoy performing for quite a few more years.

But Larry was so much more than just a folk dance friend.  His intelligence, warm humor and wide range of interests made things more interesting and more fun any time he was around; I always enjoyed talking with him, not only about folk dancing, but music, ballet, almost anything.  His intellect, enthusiasms and accomplishments were inspiring, and I hope they will remain so for all of us who knew him.

Larry was a bright star in the constellation of our folk dance community, as well as others.  Even as we enjoy the light of such people as Larry, we so often take for granted that they will continue to be there to brighten our lives for years to come, which makes it all the more shocking when the light is so suddenly and unexpectedly extinguished.  Perhaps the lesson life teaches us is that we should take inspiration from Larry, and those like him, to do more to brighten the lives of those around us and try to make up, in what ways we can, for those we have lost.

Addendum

When I wrote the first paragraph or two to you about my thoughts after learning of Larry's death, I didn't have much time and, for better or worse, was somewhat philosophical instead of personal in emphasis and what I was ready to share.

Looking back on what I wrote, I said he was a bright star in our folk dance community, and others as well.  By that I was referring to other communities besides folk dancers, but as I shared some of my thoughts a couple hours later at Tuesday night folk dancing and looked around the room, it struck me how much the other is true as well.  There are many others whose presence and contributions I sometimes take for granted.  

 I think I should add some personal things to share with all of you who knew Larry and shared his friendship.  

One of the first memories that comes back to me as I reminisce, was I think the first year Larry was at UWM.  It was a very cold Friday night after folk dancing at UWM.  I think it was December, but it was a rare early subzero night.  We'd just been to an after folk dancing party and Larry had enjoyed a couple of beers and was in rather a jovial mood as I gave him a ride back to his apartment.  We passed a bank with a time and temperature sign and he was very pleased by how cold it was!  "Twelve below (or whatever it was) All right!"  He positively relished it ... as he did with so many things in life. 

And it was one of the many fun facets of his personality.  There were a number of other times I wound up giving Larry a ride in cold weather -- I often gave him a ride to the airport when he was heading to Maine for winter family gatherings at his brother's house.  One of the last times I recall it was a very cold morning, and I told him to be careful at night if it was that cold out in Maine.  He laughed, knowing it was a reference to the outhouse, and told me his brother had finally put in an 
indoor bathroom -- in the wing he added for his in-laws -- but Larry said he still sometimes used the old outhouse so as not to disturb them late at night.  Then he added "You have to be careful, even if it isn't cold. One night a neighbor stumbled over something on his front porch as he went out the door -- a bear got up and ambled off grumbling..."  

It was just one of the many things in life Larry loved, from the most sophisticated classical music or ballet, to wild mountain scenery or rough edges of rural Maine.  That was one of the wonderful things about Larry and one of the ways he brightened the lives of us fortunate to know him.

Jim Karon, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
JimDKaron@aol.com