Virginia Beach ~ Lawrence J. Goldrich, 98, passed away at his home following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife, Jan T. Goldrich, children, Patricia, Andrew, Vicki, and Lauren, and grandchildren, Samantha and Mikaela; his nephew, Bill Berger and wife Gail; great-nieces Dani (Seth) Pariser and Allison (Ben) Weinger, great-grandnephews Jay, Matt, and Mason, and great-grandnieces Farin and Quinn. He is also survived by cousins David (Linda) and Dinny Frankel, Marilyn Gilden (Irv), Janet Strauss, Joel Weissman, and their children and grandchildren, and cherished friends including Barry Rosengarten, Bart Frye, and Walter Page, among many others. Larry was preceded in death by his sister Maxine and brother-in-law Les Berger, and his niece, Gail C. Berger.
Born in New York to David and Bess Goldrich in 1922, Larry graduated from Far Rockaway High School in 1941, and entered the University of North Carolina. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served four years before returning to UNC, where he joined Pi Lambda Phi and received a BA in American History in 1947.
He began his business career in construction and real estate development in 1948 in New York before moving the business to Virginia Beach in 1952 and founding Larrymore Organization, Inc. with his brother-in-law, Les Berger. Recognizing the area’s potential, he developed residential and commercial properties throughout Norfolk and Virginia Beach, as well as Long Island, Manhattan, upstate New York, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, and Nevada. Larry loved his work, and could be found in his office in College Park Monday through Friday, even through his 95th year. Over the years Larry was grateful for the dedicated support of numerous employees, including Regina, Chris, Karen, Erla, Ginny, Dennis, Brian, Donna, Randy, Scott, Dwight, Andre and Willie.
Among his many professional affiliations, Larry served as President of the Tidewater Association of Home Builders, of which he was a founding member, Senior Life Director of the National Association of Home Builders, chairman of the NAHB Research Center, and board member for the NAHB’s Housing Endowment Foundation.
An enthusiastic philanthropist, Larry founded the Lawrence J Goldrich Foundation and the Larrymore Foundation, which benefitted non-profit organizations and causes throughout Hampton Roads.
Especially close to his heart was his alma mater UNC – Chapel Hill, where he chaired the annual giving council, co-chaired the Annual Giving Fund, and served on the Board of Visitors and the General Alumni Association Board of Directors. Larry founded and endowed the UNC Alumni Sculpture Garden and established the Chancellor’s Club, and was a loyal supporter and active volunteer and community advisory board member for 45 years at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Locally, Larry served on the Old Dominion University President’s Council and the ODU Educational Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as on the boards of the Families of Autistic Children in Tidewater, the Virginia Stage Company, the Virginia Opera Association, the Chrysler Museum Advisory Board, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the Virginia Beach SPCA, the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, and Beth Sholom Village, and was instrumental in establishing the Department of Jewish Studies at ODU.
Larry was a member of Ohef Sholom Temple and past Chairman of the Ohef Sholom Foundation.
Recently, with his wife Jan, Larry made a legacy gift to the EVMS “Deliver on the Promise” campaign, establishing the EVMS Lawrence J. Goldrich Institute for Integrated NeuroHealth, the first of its kind in the area. It will provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to his business and community activities, Larry was a man with many interests including boating, deep sea fishing, gardening, traveling, and the arts. He loved spending time in the yard surrounded by his canine family members.
The family would like to thank the staff of the Freda H Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care, and caregivers Shane and Deck, for all of their dedication and support throughout his illness.
A small private memorial service will be held in Virginia Beach on Thursday, April 1st, at 3:00 pm. Anyone wishing to attend remotely may join, please visit Altmeyer Funeral Homes www.altmeyerfuneralandcremation.com or the Cremation Society of Virginia at
https://www.vacremationsociety.com for a link to the virtual service. Due to COVID-19, the family will not be receiving condolence calls at this time. A celebration to honor Larry’s life will be held at a later date, to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in his memory be made to the EVMS Lawrence J. Goldrich Institute for Integrated NeuroHealth, the Ohef Sholom Temple Foundation Fund, the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, or the UNC Alumni Sculpture Garden.
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