Larry C. Colbert

Colbert, Larry C .
of Tempe, left a hole in the hearts of many when he passed away March 21, 2011. Joyful and charismatic, Larry celebrated life every single day. Larry loved good conversation, heartfelt laughter, and cars; in particular a 1940 Ford Coupe that he drove as a young man. Larry often spoke of a childhood of activity and fun on the water ways in Maryland and Virginia. A diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa as a young adult, an eye disease that leads to eventual blindness, ignited in Larry a lifetime of helping others. He belonged to the Lions Club in Arizona for more than 30 years where he was honored to serve as the Distric Governonr for 21B in 1998-99. The
Lions organization offered Larry a vehicle to express and implement helping those in need. After graduating from Arizona State University, Magna Cum Laude, Larry worked tirelessly to spread the word of the positive results that a guide dog can bring to a person who is blind. In time, Larry's natural speaking abilities blossomed into a long time membership with the National Speakers Association and a career as a much sought after motivational speaker. In recent years, Larry was selected to become a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) through the United Way in Mesa. His assignment at the Mesa YMCA was yet another opportunity to better the lives of others. He is survived by his loving companion Sandy de Neui; daughters Sharette Colbert and Tracey Conrad (John); grandchildren Dalton and Jolie Colbert; and Derrik and Nicole Conrad, a large and extended family; and his guide dogs Cecil and Banner (retired). Donations in Larry's name can be made to Guiding Eyes for the Blind www.guidingeyes.org; or the the Arizona Vision Center, 1016 N 32nd Street, Phoenix, Az 85008. A Celebration of Larry's Fabulous Life is being held at 10 A.M. Saturday April 30th at The National Speakers Association Headquarters, 1500 S. Priest Drive, Tempe. Family, Friends, Lions Club Memers, Co-workers and all of those who loved and miss Larry are invited to attend. For further information go to www.larrycolbert.com