Larry Calufetti

Larry Calufetti, 65, founder and CEO of Sunshine Cleaning Systems succumbed to a lengthy illness on Monday surrounded by family and friends. "Larry was a man of faith with a big heart," said his wife, Dr. Lise Lambert-Calufetti. "He was a kind and loving husband and father with a compassionate, generous spirit. Even when he was ill, Larry always had a smile on his face. He will be missed by all of us and the community he served for 40 years." A native of Illinois, Larry was an All-American catcher for the Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team who competed in the College World Series and Pan American Games. Nicknamed "Moose" because of his large size, he joined the New York Mets' organization before a shoulder injury ended his baseball career. Larry came to Fort Lauderdale in the mid 1970s, and began coaching baseball at Broward Community College. At the same time he ran the valet parking operations at two of Broward's most memorable nightclubs, Pete & Lenny's and Christopher's. In 1976, Larry began cleaning store front windows in Lauderdale by the Sea. Thanks to Larry's determination, Sunshine grew quickly into becoming the state's largest and most successful window and janitorial company. Larry's motto was and still is, "We guarantee a brighter day!" Larry became a leader in the profession, serving as president of the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) throughout the United States. Larry's passion was helping others, he took tremendous pride in being able to help over a 1000 employees provide for their families. Larry also took great pride in serving as the Chairman of the Board for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes "FCA" in South Florida. He believed in giving back to the community as he supported many of the local charities in the communities where Sunshine lived and worked. "No matter how busy Larry was, he always took time to listen to me tell him about my day," said Lise, a family practice physician. "He also took time to talk with members of his cleaning team. They would turn to Larry for advice on anything in their lives." Larry's family was more important to him than anything else. He had two daughters, three step-daughters and five sisters. "He was the best Dad that any daughter could ask for," said daughter Jenna Auckland. " Daughter Erin Calufetti-Schumacher, said, "He was the best role model and taught us so much about life. Both Erin and Jenna agreed that their Dad was and will always be their HERO. His favorite song was 'Don't Worry - Be Happy,' and he showed that same spirit every day." He could often be seen driving around town in his vintage 1960 Firetruck with a huge smile on his face. Larry is survived by his wife, Dr. Lise Lambert Calufetti, his two daughters, Erin Calufetti-Schumacher (Kenneth), Jenna Auckland (Derek), and granddaughter, Parker Auckland; Three step-daughters, Jessica Moore (Jeff), Nathania Szczesny (David), Laurie Newlands (Gui) and step-grandchildren, Noah Moore, Lisette Moore, Nathan Szczesny and Liam Newlands. Larry is survived by his five sisters, Lynda Roper (Fred), Laura Coenen (Mike), Lisa Hamilton (Jim), Lana Soza (Robert), and Luci Maynard (Michael). Larry is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. The family will receive friends at Baird-Case Jordan-Fannin Funeral Home, 4343 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL. on Friday, February 5th, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The memorial service to celebrate the life of Lawrence A. Calufetti will be held on Saturday, February 6, at 10 a.m. at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, 5555 N. Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation http://support.themmrf.org/goto/teammoose , Fellowship of Christian Athletes- Broward Chapter, Broward College Foundation (memo: Larry Calufetti Memorial Fund) and 4Kids of South Florida.