Larry E.
Glass
Died Aug. 12, 2019
Died Aug. 12, 2019
LELAND – Larry Edward Glass, 84, of Leland passed away Monday,
Aug. 12, 2019 at Medilodge of Leelanau surrounded by his loving family.
Larry was
born Feb. 18, 1935 in Alpha, Ohio the son of Lauris and Mary Hilda (Bailey)
Glass. On September 14, 1956 in Beaver
Creek, Ohio, he married Elizabeth “Dee” (Rasnic) Glass who survives.
Larry attended Beavercreek High School where he excelled in
athletics. His pitching led Beavercreek
to a State Baseball Championship in 1952. He received a baseball scholarship to attend
Miami of Ohio University where he was a two-sport athlete, playing both
baseball and basketball. He signed a
professional baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians and used his signing
bonus to marry Elizabeth. A serious
elbow injury ended his professional baseball career but pushed him into
coaching college basketball. He
graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and was invited to join his
former Miami Coach, Bill Rohr, on the basketball coaching staff at Northwestern
University. He went on to become the
youngest Big Ten Basketball Head Coach at the age of 28. He retired from
college basketball in 1969.
He and Elizabeth moved his family north to Leland in 1970,
purchasing the Glass House Motel, what is now the Whaleback Inn. He taught middle school English and Physical
Education at Leland Public School. When
Title IX became law, his wife persuaded him to coach his daughters in
basketball. Thus, beginning a high
school coaching career starting in 1978 and ending for good in 2006. He was inducted into the Michigan Basketball
Coaches Association Hall of Fame, won many Coach of the Year Awards, and 3
State Championships during his tenure at Leland.
Larry was many things to many people over the years. He was a teacher, coach, father, husband,
mentor, friend, colleague, but most importantly to those who love him very
much….PAPA.
Larry is survived by
his loving wife, Elizabeth; four children, Merri Lynn (Paul Peschel) Bouckaert,
Laurie (Chris Stone) Glass, Rebecca McKee (Richard Stearns), Michael (Kelly)
Glass; his grandchildren, Ashley (Joel) Heyboer, Emily (Tony) Matthys, Alisha
(Josh) Childress, Elizabeth (James) Stibich, Caitlin McKee, Mickayla Glass,
Matt and Sarah Peschel; his great grandchildren, Lily, Kyle, Beau, Linden,
Maya, Mina, and Harwell; his sister, Lynn Ellen Stauffer; his nephews, Ty
(Jennifer) Stauffer, and Chip (Dana) Staffer; his sister-in-laws, Darlene
(Russ) Leblanc, Dinah (David) King; and brother-in-law, Grover (Judy) Rasnic.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, brother-in-law, Charles Stauffer, and son-in-law, Kirk
Emiel Bouckaert.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the
entire staff at Medilodge of Leelanau for the amazing and often heroic care of
Larry in his last months.
A memorial service
will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17 at the Leland Community United
Methodist Church with the family greeting friends at 10 a.m.
Memorials
may be directed to the Glass Family Scholarship, checks payable to Leland
Public School, PO Box 498, Leland, MI 49654.
Please
share condolences with Larry’s family below or on our Facebook Page.
I briefly coached against Larry in 1984 when I was at Traverse City St. Francis. He was then, and always after, a gentleman, teacher and friend. The world is a little emptier today. Karl Gagnon
ReplyDeleteOf all the many people who stayed at the Glass House in the 1970’s it’s unlikely that the Glass family remembers the Dailey family. We stayed for many years, always in those 2 connecting rooms just south of the main house. We were treated like visiting friends rather than paying guests. The Glass kids played with our kids, fishing, waterskiing with our boat, sleeping in the tree fort, hiking up to the Whaleback. You introduced us to all things Leland and Leelanau and created long-term frequent visitors. Our family has such fond memories of those years that I couldn’t help but share how much we appreciated and enjoyed our times with you. Please accept our deepest sympathy in the passing of Larry and know that his memory will endure.
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of learning from Coach Glass and attending his camp. I learned a lot of wonderful basketball and had a great time. He was a wonderful man and left a great impact on the lives of many. My thoughts and prayers are with the Glass family. Sally (Clark) Talbot, Caledonia 1988
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. Glass for being such a great coach,a great mentor, and a true friend. I've always relished the memories of those early 70's years ln junior high basketball at Leland, where you coached us boys on to win both the Division and Cherryland Conference trophies. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, thank you Mr. Glass. Rest in peace now from a life well lived, and a job well done...Rod (Bruce) Paupore, Kingman, Az.
ReplyDeleteI attended the memorial service for Mr. Larry Glass on Saturday at the Methodist Church in Leland. Mr. Glass had a profound effect upon my life at what turns out is a crucial age in our development as humans. At the social afterwards, downstairs, the Glass family had put out notebooks to compose essays in, about our experiences with their patriarch. The first notebook I happened upon had a fresh page one, and so it was chosen.
ReplyDeleteI shared the mechanics of our time together in middle school, about how he coached six out of ten consistent basketball free throws from me, and taught me how to defend. How to shut down scorers. Basketball fundamentals.
I shared how he turned English class from nothing but frustration into a joy, and made me ready for college-level courses by the end of eighth grade. English fundamentals.
In sharing those mechanics, and wishing for that to be succinctly presentable as an essay on one page (and I wore my "Thinking Cap" to the gathering), I neglected to mention the emotional level upon which his profundity has resonated across my entire life.
He believed I was far more capable than I believed I was, and let me know it repeatedly. His confidence in my capabilities was the very first step in bolstering my lack of such confidence, and we knew each other not at all upon our first encounter in P.E. He was supportive and encouraging in that first encounter and in all that followed in all the years that I attended Leland, and beyond. He made sure early on that I knew a part of his job was to see to it that I could grow to recognize my potential as much as he could, and that while he was sure I was supported at home and by my family, sometimes it fits better coming from someone outside of home and family. He was so incredibly on the mark, there.
I cannot witness a grammar malfunction, mis-spelling, nor mis-punctuation ever without thinking of Mr. Glass. I'll never be as brazen in calling them out as he was, because I'm not a credentialed English instructor, and I'm also not a grammar Nazi. But I see them. ALL of them.
I cannot watch any basketball game without thinking of Mr. Glass at least once. Especially when killer defense is being liberally applied.
Prince and Morris Day cemented my self-confidence in the days of Purple Rain, and that would not have happened without Mr. Glass to begin with.
His surviving family is large, loving, and giving. There is no better legacy.
I send my sincere condolences to the Glass family on your loss of Larry. I had the privilege of being on the faculty of Leland Public School with Larry back in the 1970's. I witnessed first-hand his influence on the students leaving junior high under him, and entering high school, for Phil Vance and myself to continue his great work in the English courses. I also saw his successes with athletes on the basketball court. Both were essential in the development of well-rounded students. Larry is responsible for so much of that in so many individuals who graduated from LPS over many years. I hope I helped carry on a bit of what Larry imparted in the classroom, even though my tenure at Leland was much shorter than his. But to this day, my days there were among the happiest of my career and life, and Larry was certainly a part of that.
ReplyDeleteFondly with love and prayers,
Judy LaCross
Don't you worry Mrs. LaCross, because your work there enhanced us all. Thank you too! That was a very special place in an enlightened time back then, and save for a couple bad apples, the entire faculty was amazing. Oh, and I did put my book together after we spoke last, but now it just sits there because I don't know what to do next! Let me know if you have any suggestions, but please don't feel obligated! r.paupore@yahoo.com
DeleteTo my Glass family. You all live in my heart every day. I'm still pattie jo glass.
ReplyDeleteI'm devastated over the loss ..