The SCMC community pauses to remember
our dear friend, Larry
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Larry. Larry was a valued member of our development office team whose warmth, humor, and dedication made a lasting impact on all who worked with him. He had a love for cooking and trying out new recipes and became a legend around the office for his creative and delicious cheesecakes, with no flavor being too exotic or challenging to make. We are grateful for the time we shared with Larry and for the many ways he enriched our workplace. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him. Loving God, we thank You for the gift of Larry’s life and the joy he brought to so many. May he now rest in Your eternal peace, and may those who mourn his passing be comforted by Your love and the promise of new life. Amen.
Lawrence (Larry) Cardinal
January 2, 1951 – August 8, 2025
OBITUARY
Lawrence (Larry) Thomas Cardinal, 74, of Taftville, CT, passed away on August 8, 2025. After a recent discovery of pancreatic cancer, he died very peacefully at home. In the time before passing, he displayed a truly inspiring strength of faith to his family and friends.
Born on January 2, 1951 in Norwich, Larry was the beloved son of Beatrice Noella (Nollet) and Leonard Joseph Cardinal. Larry is survived by Irene Louise (Lemire) Cardinal, his devoted wife of over 40 years who cared for him and stayed by his side during his final journey home.
He also leaves behind his four loving children and their families:
o Melissa Lee Baker (Jeremy)
▪ Brandon Dailey
▪ Nathaniel Dailey (Melissa)
• Cade, Cole, and Carter Dailey
▪ Stanley Wybraniec (Karissa)
• Jakob and Layla Mirsky and Zailie Wybraniec
▪ Selena Baker
o Jason Lawrence Cardinal (Stacy)
▪ Laura Mawdsley (Tyler)
• Lillian and Anna Mawdsley
▪ Joshua Cardinal (Juliette)
▪ Emily Cardinal (fiancé Alex)
▪ Samuel Cardinal
▪ Noah Cardinal
From above, he is looking forward to two expected additions coming to this family!
o Desirée Marie Lohr (Donald)
▪ Dominic Lohr
▪ Noella Lohr
▪ Charlotte Lohr
o Angela Louise Brunetti (Paul)
Larry is also survived by his cherished nephew Michael Pelletier (Jayne) and niece Michelle Pelletier-Burlingham (Carl) and their families, as well as nephew Dana Lemire (Karissa) and his family.
In addition to his extensive family, Larry also leaves behind many, many in-laws, relatives, and friends. All of them loved “The Big Guy”, and he them.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Dolores and brother-in-law David Pelletier, mother-in-law Geraldine Mary (Vigneau) Lemire, his brother-in-law David Lemire, and his granddaughter Rylee Jane Baker.
A skilled toolmaker and moldmaker, Larry went to school at Windham Tech before working at Thermos for 20 years, MPS Plastics for over 15 years, and ending his toolmaking career at Westminster Tools. In his later years, he found joy working for the Sisters of Charity in Baltic, where he was embraced by a friendly and happy community. He was a faithful parishioner and had many friends at Sacred Heart Church in Taftville.
Larry was deeply dedicated to his work, and even more so to his large family, which was his greatest joy in life. His heart was as large as his stature; he was a real gentle giant, a “softy” with an abundance of patience and kindness. Larry enjoyed the simple things in life: a good Patriots game, everything trains, card games, a brewery visit with his family and friends, whistling to songbirds, crisp mornings, mountains, and corny “dad jokes.” He had a love for cooking and trying out new recipes and became a local legend for his creative and delicious cheesecakes, with no flavor being too exotic or challenging to make. Many who knew him remember the deep bond he had with “Daisy.” It was always a site to behold the larger-than-life man walking his ridiculously tiny granddog, but no one could ever deny that they were a perfect match.
Larry carried his smiles and jokes all the way into his last days. He accepted this final challenge in life with unwavering grace and peace. He will be deeply missed by the countless people who were blessed to know him and leaves an unfillable hole that is far vaster than his build ever was.
The family would like to give a special thank you to the nurses and staff of Norwich Hospice, who helped keep Larry and Irene as mentally, spiritually, and physically comfortable as possible.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, August 18th at 10:00 am at St. Mary’s Church in Baltic, CT.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Place in Norwich or to your local food bank, in honor of Larry’s joy in sharing food with others.
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