Lawrence E. "Larry" Posey

1935 - 2024

Lawrence E. ""Larry"" Posey, 89, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Marietta, Ga.
He was born Jan. 14, 1935, in the mountains of Western North Carolina, in Murphy. Larry was the son of a line pole worker for the telephone company and a homemaker. He was up early to chop wood for the kitchen stove, milk Daisy, the family cow, and then walk to school. At Murphy High School, he was an athlete, playing third base and quarterback, and developing lifelong friendships with a group that would gather yearly for ""Hanging Dog"" reunions.
After a year at Maryville College, he served in the U.S. Army for two years. Due to his typing skills, his orders were diverted from being a clandestine radio operator in Austria to a clerk at HQ in Waterford, England, where he never lost an inspection. As he once said, ""Being in the Army in peacetime isn't bad. It's actually fun.""
Following his service, he completed his undergraduate work at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. While in college, he married Linda Ruth English, also of Murphy; they would be married for 55 years until her passing. Upon graduation, he got a job with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Larry and Linda moved to New York City.
For over a decade, he worked in the then Venereal Disease programs in New York City and Baltimore, Md., before completing a graduate program at the University of Virginia and then moved for good to Marietta, Ga.
Soon after arriving in Marietta, they welcomed a son, Drew Lawrence, and settled into a long pattern marked by Drew, family, CDC, real estate and the outdoors.
An avid outdoorsman, Larry enjoyed trout fishing in the spring and summer and hunting in the fall and winter with his beloved English Setters. Of these outdoor activities, his favorite was trout fishing. Larry once said on a Dec. 21, ""It's the shortest day of the year and I know that each day will get a little longer, and I start thinking about fly fishing."" Larry loved leading family and friends on backpacking trips to the Smoky Mountains and telling tall tales of those adventures.
Outside of the woods, baseball was a passion, coaching Drew's teams and then continuing to follow and support his former teams for years afterwards. While Drew was in high school, Larry and Linda were treasurers of the Lassiter Baseball Booster Club, and Larry played a leadership role in designing and building the original press box and locker room. Later, he was a steadfast supporter of the East Cobb Yankees.
A total fan of CDC and a true old-school Public Health Advisor, his love, appreciation and passion for CDC knew no bounds. Cups, visors, jackets and even a onesie for his granddaughters, CDC was never far from view.
For the last half of a long and distinguished career that spanned over 40 years, he worked in Environmental Health. His groups were involved in the original Love Canal investigation, hypervitaminosis D, responses to floods and natural disasters, and improving environmental conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The last couple of decades were marked by his granddaughters, Katherine Ann and Ashley Kristen Posey, seeing them grow up and experiencing their milestones: baptisms, birthday parties, sports, and helping teach each of them how to drive.
It was also during this time he served as Chair of the Finance Committee at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and was a regular at Men's Breakfast.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, John Erwin Posey Jr., and Sarah Padgett Posey; his wife, Linda; brother-in-law, William A. ""Dub"" Sherrill; and nephew, Todd Patrick Gibson.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Drew (Kristen) Posey of Marietta, Ga.; sister, Sara Sherrill of Murphy; granddaughters, Katherine and Ashley Posey of Marietta, Ga.; sisters-in-law, Peggy Withrow of Holly Springs, Ga., and Janet Bennett of Canton, Ga.; brother-in-law, Ken English of Brasstown; niece, Paige (Brian) Sherrill of Robbinsville; nephews, Jeff (Katie) English of Athens, Ga., John English of Alto, Ga., Ryan (Arin) Johnson of Atlanta, Ga., Corey (Nai) Johnson of Johns Creek, Ga.; and a host of grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins and friends.
A graveside service will be held at noon on Saturday, Feb. 3, at Sunset Cemetery in Murphy, with the Rev. James Hood officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, 4495 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta, GA 30066.
Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy, is in charge of arrangements. An online guest register is available at iviefuneralhome.com.