Larry Hazen

Larry Hazen passed away on July 28, 2023 in Cary, NC surrounded by loving family members and listening to his favorite band, The Beatles. His Celebration of Life Service will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 23rd at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church at 200 High Meadow Dr, Cary, NC 27511. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Larry's memory to either Feeding Avery Families or Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club, PO Drawer 1406, Cary, NC 27512.
Larry was born in Georgia to Maynard Hazen and Betty Paen. He was the oldest child of five siblings and is preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife, Cylinda Hazen. He is survived by his three children, Heather (David) Parton, Melissa (Andrew) Carroll and Ryan (Katherine) Hazen. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren Asher, Carys, Doran, Reagan, and Grant as well as his younger sisters Lynne Morrell, Mimi (Kevin) Burke, Lisa (Robert) Davies, and Amy (Rob) Spaeth.
Larry's youth was spent in Chicago, IL and Rye, NY. His entrepreneurial spirit was evident early in his life as he undertook various ventures in his neighborhood, including a mobile lunch service and an egg delivery business. He was a standout athlete, earning recognition both on the football field and in the swimming pool. A lifetime lover of golf, he also competed in various tournaments on the golf course and was a well-known caddy at his local country club in Rye.
After graduating from Rye High School, Larry attended Wake Forest University, graduating in 1974. While at Wake Forest, Larry met his future wife, Cylinda. According to legend, Larry saw her for the first time across a crowded room and immediately told his best friend, "that's the woman I'm going to marry." Indeed, they were married a few short years later.
By 1977, Larry had joined Broyhill Furniture Industries, where he would work for the next 23 years. He eventually rose to the position of Executive Vice President and designed many popular lines of furniture, including Fontana, a line which sold more than any design up to that point in the history of the industry.
Also in 1977, Cylinda gave birth to Larry's first daughter, Heather. Melissa and Ryan were born in 1980 and 1983 respectively, and the family landed in Lenoir, NC, where they would spend the rest of their time together as a family before the children moved on to college careers of their own.
Larry was tragically preceded in death by his wife, Cylinda, in 1999. As a longtime supporter of public education in Lenoir, Larry arranged a memorial scholarship fund to honor Cylinda's memory which is still in operation to this day. The fund provides grants to local teachers to try innovative projects in their classrooms.
After Cylinda's death, Larry moved into entrepreneurial and consulting roles, working with various businesses in local, regional, and international contexts. He focused on involvement with his local Rotary club and spent time with his grandchildren. Larry became a fixture of the Banner Elk community where he lived for nearly two decades, participating in the annual Woolly Worm Festival and working with the Meals on Wheels program, providing meals to folks with limited ability to provide for themselves.
His final years were spent close to his two daughters and grandchildren in Cary, NC, where he eventually succumbed to his yearslong battle with COPD. He entertained dozens of guests in his final weeks with his irreverent humor and indelible charm. He passed away peacefully with his daughters and sister present, listening to "Here Comes The Sun," "Come Together," and "Let it Be."