Lawrence L. "Professor" Cary

1942 - 2018

Lawrence L. "Professor" Cary

Reno - Lawrence L. Cary, better known to his family and friends as "Professor" made his transition on June 23, 2018. Born in Gunnison, Colorado on July 30, 1942 and raised in Redding, CA. He moved to Reno, NV in the early 1960s, where he helped to bring Martial Arts to Northern Nevada.

Professor Cary leaves behind a legacy in the Martial Arts world that many people will never surpass. A 10th Degree Blackbelt in Dan Zan Ryu Jujitsu he was also the Soke and founder of Unity Martial Arts, System of Champions. Professor Cary held various Black Belt rankings from schools and organizations from all over the world in Jujitsu, Sport Jujitsu, Ninjitsu, Judo, Karate and many others. Due to his innate ability to see beyond what was traditionally being taught in the Martial Arts world, he created Cary Jitsu Ryu, which is a culmination of various martial arts forms. He was the Director of USA JuJitsu & Martial Arts Federation and the US Director for the World Council of Ju-Jitsu Organizations. He was on the Board of Directors of the United States Martial Arts Association and Head Coach of the 1998 USA Sport JuJitsu Team. Professor Cary's work took him all over the world where he coached the US team in Europe, Argentina, New Zealand and beyond. Over the years he received awards from organizations worldwide for his work and was inducted into the prestigious World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Along with his many personal awards, Professor Cary also trained numerous World Champion fighters and highly regarded Black Belts throughout his storied sixty year career.

As a professional, Professor Cary provided personal protection and undercover surveillance and was a senior instructor of professional security as well as a Police and SWAT trainer.

Professor Cary was one of the greatest Martial Artists who ever lived, but he was also a loving father, grandfather, brother and friend. Preceded in death by his parents Theresa and Glenn Cary, he is survived by his devoted friend and ex-wife Donna Cary, his children Sean Cary, J. Ryan Cary and step daughter Sue Rodriguez, all of Reno Nevada. Professor Cary had six beloved grandchildren Ryan 9, Erin 6, and Kenji 4, Eiden 9, Natalia 8, Camila 5, and two step-grandchildren Kendra 20, Patrick 16. He is also survived by his brother and best friend John Byron Cary and many nieces and nephews. Professor Cary's legacy is a great one, and there are many young members of his family who are eager to carry it on. His son, Sensei Ryan Cary is following in his footsteps as the owner of Champion Martial Arts in Reno. Professor Cary blessed us with his time, his talent and most importantly, his love. His journey on this earth is complete and he will be truly missed, but he will never be forgotten. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 1:00 PM at Walton's Funeral Home, 1745 Sullivan Ln, Sparks, NV 89431 with a reception immediately to follow at Rounds Bakery on Moana Lane in Reno. Professor Cary took great joy volunteering his time teaching life skills to people with disabilities and he did so for many years. So In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Professor Cary's name to Disability Resources. www.disabilityresourcesnv.org.