LARRY SPEAKES

LARRY SPEAKES
Larry Speakes, Chief Spokesman for President Ronald Reagan for six years, died of Alzheimer's disease in Cleveland, MS, on Friday, January 10, 2014. He was 74. Larry was born September 13, 1939, and raised in Bolivar County, MS. He studied journalism at the University of Mississippi and edited newspapers in the state until 1968 when he moved to Washington DC to work as press secretary for Senator James O. Eastland (D-Miss). He subsequently accepted numerous appointments while continuing to live and work in Washington DC. These include press secretary for the special counsel to President Nixon during the Watergate hearings, assistant press secretary to President Ford, campaign press secretary for vice presidential candidate Bob Dole, staff to the Hill and Knowlton public relations firm, and most notably, deputy press secretary to James Brady under President Ronald Reagan. He served for six years as acting Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan after Jim Brady was wounded during the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan. Larry considered his Reagan White House position to be the highlight of his career. Larry later worked for Merrill Lynch, Northern Telecom and retired as a senior executive of the US Postal Service in 2008.Larry's favorite pastimes were baseball and hiking. He and his wife Aleta frequented the baseball spring training programs in Florida and Phoenix Arizona before attending Washington Nationals baseball games. He and Aleta also spent many days of hiking together along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Skyline Drive. His favorite trails were Buck Hollow and the Rose River. He was an avid photographer, eager to capture his surroundings with great artistic expression. He enjoyed swimming, biking, and sharing time with his family. He is survived by his wife, Aleta, and his two stepchildren, and three children from his two previous marriages which ended in divorce.A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday February 1, 2014, at the 4th Presbyterian Church, 5500 River Road, Bethesda, MD, where Larry and Aleta and Larry's stepchildren attended services.