Larry James Conklin

I am now close to 60. I met Larry when I was 15 and quite a naïve country boy while Larry was an experienced "city boy". Our families shared a summer cottage on Cayuga Lake. We spent the teen-age summers fishing, hunting, boating, water skiing, stealing beer from our uncles, climbing the cliffs, and in general, learning about life. He tried like heck to lead me astray and I often followed. I was able to get my father's Volkswagen bus and we would drive 30 miles to Auburn, NY to a local dance with the bus fully loaded with kids from the lake road. I had a big crush on his cousin (who also had a cottage at the lake) and he had one on my sister. We had a wonderful time growing up together.

I went to his wedding and after what seemed like a very short time, his funeral. My family has since sold our cottage on the lake but often my mind wanders back to our cottage and I mentally re-trace my steps down the lake road to his family's cottage. Memories stream back to me and I smile. He is not forgotten. He was my hero then. He is still my hero.