Lawrence Green

Lawrence E. Green 1931 - 2012 Larry Green, designer of the iconic Washington Square Bar and Grill and Perry's logos and one of the original 'ad men' in San Francisco died at his home in Belvedere on February 15th, at the age of 80 following a valiant battle with Parkinson's Disease, surrounded by his family. Larry was born in San Francisco and raised in Hillsborough. He graduated from the University of Arizona and earned a Fine Arts Degree at Chouinard Art Institute. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Geraldine (G.G.), his sons Chris and Alan, daughters Elizabeth and Millicent, and grandchildren Allison, Kristina, Destry, Sunny and Leo. He was dearly loved by sister-in-law Susan Nathe, nieces Erin and Allison, and Kelly and Sean. While some of us strive to think outside the box, for Larry, there was no box. Cartoonist, inventor, graphic designer, game designer, magician, interior designer, author, and general bon vivant, his creativity was endless and awe inspiring. In the late 50's, he was art director at McCann, Erickson working on major brands of the time. He left M/E in the mid-60s and merged into Fetzer, Stockton and Green, three merry men of the design and publishing world, who were located for years in a penthouse studio above City Lights Books. For the remainder of his working years he was a denizen of North Beach with offices on upper Grant Ave, Powell, Union St. and Pacific. In the 70's he opened the Green Co. where he roamed free in the areas of graphic design, cartooning and inventions. He was the inventor of the inflatable Air Chair and The Arranger, products of the year in design magazines of the time. He was a lifetime member of the Inventors Association of America and the London Office of Patentees. From the mid-80's on, with long-time creative partner Maureen O'Rorke, he was at the forefront of the environmental movement, helping create successful and award-winning social marketing campaigns for recycling, precycing, air and water quality, and more. They co-authored The Bad Back Diet book published by Chronicle Books -- a big hit in Finland. Larry continued working on games and products well into his retirement. In 2008, he collaborated with Josefa Heifetz on a game and calendar based on her book, Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary. Larry and G.G. created an extraordinary life together. They loved taking international hiking trips, designing their home in Marin, and hosting some unforgettable (read: wild) parties for their numerous friends. And it must be said how Larry loved the old-fashioned three-ring circus and magic tricks, and that he was a (very) amateur magician. So we can say Larry led a charmed and fascinating life. We're sorry to see him go, but lucky to have known him. The family would like to thank Larry's wonderful caregivers, Rick Hobbs, Jorge Mayo, David Garcia, Eric Parks, and Edmundo Merida. A service will be held at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 10th. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research or the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, California.