Lawrence Edward Donabedian

Lawrence Edward Donabedian - Beloved husband and father
Larry Donabedian was cherished by his family and friends. He was gentle but unwaveringly strong; creative and talented; determined to do the right thing; generous; thoughtful; and exceptionally kind. After a brave battle with cancer, he passed away peacefully at his home in Troy, Michigan on October 20, 2022. He was surrounded by his loving wife, Euniece, and his children.
Larry was born in Dearborn, Michigan on July 18, 1958 to the late George and Lydia Donabedian. He graduated from Wayne State University with a BA in Printmaking and Graphic Design. This led to his career as a creative director in advertising. Larry's career involved incredibly long hours and a lot of hard work, but it also afforded him many unique and exciting experiences. He shot commercials in Hawaii, Alaska, Paris, Rome, and more; he knew Los Angeles like the back of his hand from working there so frequently; and he worked with stars like Gladys Knight, Jennifer Lopez, and Enrique Iglesias. However, Larry always stayed grounded and humble - his favorite thing about his shoot in Rome was that his wife flew out to be with him; he took advantage of all his time in California to stay in touch with his dear Aunt Darlene who lived in Sun City; and he made sure to ask Enrique Iglesias to sign a CD for his daughter who was a teenager at the time.
More than anything else, family was of the utmost importance to Larry. He met his beloved wife of 38 years, Euniece Dorland, at WSU in Painting 101. In his words, "it was a boring and dreary class, but then one day this girl walked in who lit up the room and made everything more fun." They went on to have their two children, Nick (Laura Huth) and Ellen (Dominic DiClemente). Larry was the eldest brother of Ann Kamischke (Mark), Steve (Aimee), John (Angela), and Jennifer Pelegrino (Joseph). He was also the loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.
Larry was an exceptional husband and father. He and Euniece created a beautiful home and were blessed to be part of an incredibly tight knit community of neighbors and friends. He was always eager to help out a friend; was an amazing guitar player; enjoyed traveling, going for walks, and visiting museums with Euniece; and loved simple moments like having the neighbors over for a bonfire on a beautiful summer night. As a father, he taught his children the importance of having integrity and working hard. He was a fantastic listener, unbelievably supportive, and had the best advice. Also, importantly, he passed on his love for and taste in music. He spent hours introducing his children to The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Ry Cooder, Motown, Elvis Presley and so much more.
Larry will be sorely missed, but his family takes comfort in knowing that, while he was on this Earth, he lived a life full of joy, fulfillment, and love. He will continue to live on through the lives of the many people he has impacted
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Cancer Society www.cancer.org