Laurence M. Steve

Steve, Laurence M.

Physical Therapist & "Low-Grade Spy" January 25, 1934 -April 21, 2011;Laurence M. Steve, 78 of Mt. Vernon, NY, passed away April 21, 2011 at Calvary Hospital, Bronx, NY, ending a 15-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Known to all as "Larry", Mr. Steve was a respected Physical Therapist for nearly 50 years. Since 1986, he operated his own private practice at 2114 Williamsbridge Road in the Bronx. Prior to that, he was on the staff at Jacobi Hospital, taught anatomy at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and was a member of Ithaca College's New York-based faculty for the school's Physical Therapy program. In addition, he was an active member of the New York Physical Therapy Association and a passionate advocate for the profession. His dedication to his patients was legendary, helping scores of people regain their mobility and their quality of life.

Born on January 25, 1934 in Ithaca, NY, Larry was a 1951 graduate of Ithaca High School, where he was an all-around athlete participating in football, basketball, baseball and wrestling. In 1953, he joined the Army and was dispatched to Fort Dix, New Jersey, where he received training in radio operations using the old 'Morse Code' system. He served in Korea and Japan until early 1956 in an Army communications unit monitoring coded messages, often referring to himself as a "low-grade spy." This work may have launched his life-long fascination with espionage books and spy movies.

After leaving the Army, Larry attended Ithaca College where he majored in physical therapy and sports medicine. One of his earliest jobs - and one of which he was most proud - was as an athletic trainer for the Cornell football team in the late 1950's. In 1959 he married the former Phyllis "Marti" Quinn of Ithaca, NY and shortly thereafter moved to the Bronx and then to Nanuet, NY.

In addition to being an espionage buff Larry was an avid music fan, enjoying classic jazz as well as soundtracks from Fellini movies and spaghetti westerns. Though he never learned to play an instrument, he owned and enjoyed three antique player pianos over the years. His often-eclectic interests included a collection of silent movies and classic sports cars along with an appreciation for art and architecture.

Larry was predeceased by his parents, Martin and Thelma Steve of Ovid, N.Y. and Port Charlotte, Florida, and his wife, Phyllis. He is survived by two sons, Marc of New York City and Jaime of Alexandria, VA, and his brothers, Ronald of Ovid, NY and Richard of Knoxville, TN.



A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 7 from 3:00 - 5:00pm at the Yannatuono Burr Davis Sharpe funeral home at 584 Gramatan Avenue in Mt. Vernon, NY. A graveside service at the Calvary Cemetary in Ithaca, NY will be scheduled for later this summer.