Tomorrow will make two weeks since a dear friend of mine, Larry Fair, from Live Internet Weddings was tragically killed in a house fire in Makiki on April 23, 2009 and it still doesn’t seem real.
Larry was ahead of his time in terms of the internet and its capabilities and was extremely knowledgeable about the computer. He fulfilled his dream of streaming weddings live so that everyone would be able to take part in a couple’s special day no matter where they were.
One of my favorite weddings was a couple from Dallas that came to Hawaii to get married and we were working together on their event. The bride was from Poland and the groom was originally from Louisiana. They had a 9am wedding at the Turtle Bay Resort’s pavilion so that both of their families would be able to watch them as they exchanged vows.
Larry was especially proud of being able to share and build his business with his son Joshua and formed a great team of videographers to service their clients both on Oahu and the neighbor islands.
When I first started Hawaii Weddings and Events, we literally sat at Starbucks for almost three weeks building my website page-by-page as I continued to make finger marks on his computer screen pointing where I wanted things to go.
During these three weeks we had an opportunity to talk about many things, and being the very giving person he was, he would not accept payment for the time he spent working on my website so we agreed that we would always share ideas and inspirations to help each other grow our respective businesses, and we did.
Throughout the years, we continued to talk 3-4 times a week on the phone usually before or after our appointments, just to see what the other person was doing and to share new ideas, new locations or people that we had met. I couldn’t begin tell you how many of those talks would be about someone that he was helping with something.
I still find myself picking up my phone to call him and then realizing that I can’t, but I know that he is watching down upon all of us and I’m sure still wiping my fingerprints off his virtual screen.
Please give Joshua Fair and his family your love, prayers and continued support
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3 comments:
Larry truly was an inspiration to many. He was always generous with his time and talents. Even though he was busy with his many projects, he always took the time to really talk to you if you ran into him at an event or even casually on the street.
Larry will be missed. Thank you for the fitting tribute to a great man.
I knew larry well, actually worked with he and his son josh on a video project. Larry was a giving person who was sincere and kind and non-judgemental towards everyone. It is shocking that the person who lived in the house next to him would burn the house down for such a petty thing. Apparantly, this person was angry at larry and set the house on fire. I can only imagine that larry simply asked her to stop arguing. Larry was the most mellow person i have ever known. I am so sad this crazy person did this to him, and shocked that she died in the fire that she set. i cant quite process it all to be honest. I wish his son all the Aloha in the world, and i am glad he seems to see things correctly and that he is not bitter. Very nice person, which is no surprise to me because i know his dad!
Mahalo, Larry, for all the memories and fun times we shared together.
For making our tiny, ugly apartment the most beautiful place in the world, just by your presence.
For never asking me to take a bath when I came home from the dolphin lab smelling like squid.
For holing up together during the hurricane, and turning it into one of the most hilarious experiences of my life.
For sticking up for me when our scuba instructor got on my case.
When you couldn’t walk, for making the effort to take the 30-minute bus ride to meet me at the beach, when it was just an easy 5 minute stroll for me across the street.
For literally giving me the shirt off your back so I wouldn’t have to walk home in my bikini after I went outrigging and someone “borrowed” my coverup.
For escorting me so many times to the dolphin lab when I had middle-of-the night shifts.
For our Todai comedy of errors.
For our other zillion comedies of error.
For singing karaoke until they took the microphone away from you, and then not remembering any of it the next day.
For all our crazy trips around the island, and for getting lost every time we got in a car together.
For storing my surfboard and other “necessities” in your room for months at a time while I was in Texas, even though there was barely enough room for your own stuff.
For taking our suitcases to the grocery store because we didn’t have cars and couldn’t carry all our bags home.
For our races to our 36th floor room – me running up the stairs, and you taking the slower-than-molasses elevator. By the way, I know you pressed extra buttons and let me win.
For helping me heal after April, and for being the first person I told I was pregnant with Maggie.
For the many hours we spent together trying to figure out how to use your video camera and computer so you could build your dream, which you did - over and above anything I ever thought possible.
For showing me that anything is possible.
Rest in peace, Larry. Aloha nui loa.
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