Lawrence "Larry" R. Williams

Lawrence “Larry” Richard Williams passed peacefully into the arms of the Lord on March 22, 2023 at the age of 92.

Larry was born on October 26, 1930 in Los Angeles, California to Carroll Boyd and Madeline Williams.  He grew up in Manhattan Beach, CA and attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles.  He then went on to pursue a civil engineering degree from Santa Clara University, while playing football as a Bronco.  One of his fondest memories was being a two-way starter as an end for the victorious Orange Bowl team against the University of Kentucky in 1950.  After graduation, Larry served in the US Army in Germany. Upon his return, he met and married the love of his life, Mary, in 1958.  They recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.  Larry went on to complete a master’s degree in civil engineering from USC and carve out a successful civil engineering practice, while he and Mary raised nine children. He was an amazing dad and provider.

Aside from his passion for his family, Larry had a lifelong love of athletics.  In his younger years, he participated competitively at the Tustin Hills Racquet Club as a tennis player, often bringing home trophies. He particularly loved watching football games but spent many years attending his children’s and grandchildren’s competitions, no matter the sport. He was also an avid fisherman. He was always willing to go wherever his pole would lead and especially enjoyed sharing those experiences with family and friends.

Larry would dive headlong into his hobbies. Larry had a passion for restoring vintage Porsches. He immersed himself in polishing every bolt to shiny perfection. He was also a champ at repairing the various family vehicles.  He could often be found working on his prized HO scale model train city.  His perfectionism and engineering prowess led him to design an incredible layout that was enjoyed by adults and grandchildren alike. Larry’s perfectionism also took root in home improvement projects.  After designing and building the large family home on Park Skyline, he also assisted all his offspring with various home improvement projects over the years.

Upon the completion of his career, Larry and Mary retired to their beloved cabin in Yosemite National Park for 17 years.  He passed the time by exploring watercolor, sprucing up the cabin and tinkering with another model railroad design, all the while having some sort of sporting event playing on the TV.  They returned to southern California and enjoyed an additional twelve happy years in Carlsbad, CA.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Carroll Boyd and Madeline, his brother, David and his eldest son, Charles Anthony.  He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Mary, and eight children.  Anne Wilson (Brian), Josephine Morton (Kirk), Geraldine Williams, Larry Williams (Laura), Andrew Williams (Lisa), Michael Williams (Holly), Mary Coyle (John), and John Williams (Erin) along with 27 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Mass will be held on March 30, 2023, 12 o’clock noon at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, CA.

In lieu of flowers, kindly make donations in memory of Larry to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or California Right to Life.

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