Larry Raymond Smith

Larry Raymond Smith, 83, of Seattle, Washington died peacefully on June 2, 2026. He was a wonderful, gentle man: equal parts strength, sensitivity and kindness. His life was full of love. A cherished husband, father, grandfather and friend, he will be sorely missed.

Larry was born in Seattle on December 14, 1942 to Eleanor Lundberg and Nathan Smith. Though he lived with different people in many places as a child, he would say he was mostly raised by his grandmother, Jordis Ellis. A woman he greatly admired and loved.

In 1949, while attending Harrison (now Martin Luther King) Elementary a photo of six-year-old Larry was featured in the newspaper, in action as Seattle’s youngest safety patrolman.

As a young man Larry enjoyed and excelled at skiing, fishing and baseball. He often biked from Mercer Island to Sick’s Stadium to see Rainiers games. He fondly remembers sneaking down to the good seats with a friend so they could be near the players.

In 1961, Larry graduated from Mercer Island High School. He was on the honor roll and a member of the French and photo clubs.

From 1963 to 1965 he attended Everett Community College. He was on the honor roll every semester, earning an Associate in Arts and Sciences degree. His favorite subjects were math, science and French.

Over the next few years, he would extend his education, taking a variety of math and science classes at Puget Sound University, Seattle University and the University of Washington.

In early 1968, he met the love of his life, an 18-year-old aspiring artist, Desiree Sainsbury.

That winter Larry was asked to try out for the US national ski team. He spent a week in Whitefish, Montana competing in downhill and almost made the cut.

On August 29, 1969, Larry and Desiree were wed. They were together the rest of his life, married almost 57 years. The ceremony, the first to be held in the UW Arboretum took place on Azalea Lane.

It was a happy marriage. They supported each other’s interests and independence. As Desiree’s art career grew, Larry was always her biggest fan.

Larry was an avid outdoorsman and hiker. In the early 1970s, while hiking in northeast Washington, Larry and his friend Alan Riley found signs of grizzly bears. At that time, grizzlies were not thought to be in the state.

In 1974, spurred to action to protect and study these endangered bears, Larry and Alan helped create the Washington Wildlife Study Council (WWSC). Through the WWSC they established awareness, then protections for the bears in the region. To this day the Selkirk Mountain Recovery Zone contains the state’s only existing natural population of grizzlies, with roughly 50 to 80 bears roaming the transboundary region shared with Idaho and British Columbia.

The WWSC was an early champion of wildlife overpasses and was influential in initiating interdepartmental communication of state agencies that would lead to their establishment.

On August 26, 1980, Larry and Desiree had their first child, a lovely girl, named Addie.

On November 20, 1982, they gave Addie a younger brother, Arlo.

Larry was an attentive, caring and devoted father. He was always there, showing support, ready to help however he could. He shared his love of the outdoors with his children through fishing, camping hiking, softball, baseball, skiing and more. He was always quick to help with homework. He was a good and patient tutor. He seemed to remember all the math he was ever taught.

In the late 1980s, after learning of the senseless death of a young boy returned to the custody of his violent father, Larry convened a panel discussion with a state senator, a sitting judge, an attorney and representatives from the Department of Social and Health Services. As a result of this panel significant changes were made with regard to DSHS policy, protecting children from harm.

In the 1990s, building on his love of the outdoors and supporting his son’s passion, Larry was a dedicated volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America. Acting as Den Leader to his son’s pack, and then as Arlo aged, Scoutmaster to his troop. He organized hikes, events, fundraisers, and district wide Camporees.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Larry was a member of the Haller Lake Community Club board. He was elected vice president in 2002 and president in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007. He assured the club’s financial future by finding long-time and current renter, Creative Dance Center. He also expanded the club’s presence in the community it served by hosting events like Chili-Palooza (a chili cook-off with entertainment), salmon BBQs, holiday festivals and more.

In 2002, Larry and Desiree’s granddaughter, Marie came to live with them. They would adopt her on June 7, 2004. Larry deeply loved his granddaughter; she was a constant source of laughter and joy.

Larry wanted to make the world a better place. Over his life he worked actively with many volunteer organizations. To name a few not already mentioned: Live Without Trident, Greenpeace, Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Island County Harvest Fair Committee, Creative Dance Center and the Haller Lake Arts Council.

Larry was an exceptionally hard worker who took care and pride in his craft. Over the years he had many jobs, most in retail and construction. Whatever the job was, he gave it his all. His work ethic was tireless and unmatched. He was an excellent provider for his family.

Larry loved baseball, specifically the 1950’s era Brooklyn Dodgers, having listened to their games on the radio as a child. He was passionate about music. He particularly enjoyed classical, jazz and folk music. Some musicians and composers in his playlists were Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbara Streisand, James Taylor, The Kingston Trio, and Pete Seeger. He loved musicals, watching his favorites like Porgy and Bess, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Stop the World I Want to Get Off and Les Misérables over and over again. For years he listened to Prairie Home Companion. He found George Carlin, Al Franken and Mel Brooks hilarious. He watched Blazing Saddles at least one hundred times. He would relax at night with a sudoku. He liked visiting with friends at The Pond Beyond. His hobbies included bird watching, photography, barbecue smoking and gardening. He was very proud of his abundant tomato crops. He researched and experimented with different growing methods. He never stopped learning. He recently started teaching himself how to play the piano. He was looking forward to sharing photography techniques with his grandsons.

Larry is survived by his wife Desiree Smith; daughter, Addie Smith-Shilts; son, Arlo Smith; granddaughter, Marie Smith; grandsons Steven, Paul, Benjamin, Kenneth and Kyle; half-sister, Geraldine Smith; half-brother, Gary Smith; friends, Brigitte and Ray Baker, many cousins and many more friends.

A Celebration of Life is planned for August 9, 2026 at the Haller Lake Community Club from 1:00PM – 3:30PM.

Please come and share your memories and stories of Larry. Please RSVP to desiree-smith@comcast.net