Lawrence "Larry" Goldsmith

Lawrence K. Goldsmith

Lawrence "Larry" Goldsmith passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his loving family, on January 1, 2026. He would have celebrated his 95th birthday on January 13.

Larry was born in San Francisco to Lawrence and Gertrude Goldsmith and was raised as an only child in a multigenerational home. He often fondly recalled being taught by his rabbi to "do what you can to make the world a better place than when you found it." Larry truly lived by those words. Widely regarded as a loving, kind, and compassionate man, he left his community better for having known him. Those who met Larry came away touched by his warm smile, genuine kindness, and his deep desire to make others feel valued and loved.

Larry was well known through his work at Arthur Frank, a fine men's clothing store that was a fixture in Salt Lake City through the 1980s. Throughout his professional life, he served on numerous boards, including Guadalupe School, United Way of Salt Lake, Salt Lake Community Service Council, and Congregation Kol Ami. He held leadership roles as president of Salt Lake's Downtown Retail Merchants Association, the Mental Health Association, Alliance House, B'nai Israel, Jewish Community Center, National Council of Christians and Jews, the Inclusion Center, Jewish Welfare Fund, and United Jewish Federation of Utah. He was instrumental in initiating the annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Service. In his later years, Larry remained deeply committed to volunteerism, including reading for the blind.

Larry and his wife, Suzanne Frank Goldsmith, shared a devoted life together and raised four children: Stephen (Riva), Douglas (Denise), Ann (Mark), and David (Kara). He was the proud grandfather of nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Suzanne predeceased him.

The family is deeply grateful to Veronica Afonso and her team for their dedicated caregiving to Larry.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Inclusion Center or The Road Home two organizations of great importance to Larry and the family.

A memorial service will be held at Congregation Kol Ami, 2425 Heritage Way, on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Services will be followed by a reception at the synagogue.