Larry S, 51, of Bonita Springs, died Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Formerly of Tobyhanna, PA he had been a Florida resident for the last 28 years. He was born January 25, 1960 in Verdun, France, the son of George Michael and Una Jane (née Saxe) S.
Larry was a great man, an appreciative son, an incredible father, a loving brother, a funny and caring uncle, a good friend to many people, a successful financial service executive and an extraordinary athlete. He had a spiritual soul and was philanthropic with his money, time and energy.
He is survived by his loving son, U.S. Army Specialist Tyler of Bonita Springs; Tyler's mother, Diane of Ft. Myers, FL; his mother, Una Jane  of Old Forge, PA; brother, Stephen (Robin) of Portland, OR; and sister, Tina Marie of Old Forge, PA.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home, 28300 Tamiami Trail South, Bonita Springs.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to The Harry Chapin Food Bank, 3760 Fowler Street, Ft Myers FL 33901.
Arrangements by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home.

Published in Naples Daily News on December 12, 2011

Dear ODAAT Members,

I am sorry to report that we lost a newcomer, Larry S., this past December. I started to work with him in September. He visited at my home several times and we had several long phone conversations. I really liked Larry. However I never met anyone who looked so good on the outside and was so tormented on the inside. The information below is based on the talks I had with Larry. It is offered in memory of Larry and with the hope that we can learn from the tragedy.

Larry's family at times expressed concern about his drinking. His father was an alcoholic who separated from the family when Larry was very young. Larry went to a psychiatrist because of anxiety from an unknown source, and was given medicines for anxiety and depression. At times he would break out into a sweat, just as if he just ran the 4 minute mile, but with no physical exertion. He resigned from his executive banking position in 2010 to remove himself from the stressful environment and find some peace of mind. He cashed out his 401 K and was basically living on that.

In the early summer of 2011, he went looking for work, but could not find anything at the level he was accustomed to. A good credit rating was very, very important to him. He never missed payment on any of his bills. Now his resources was beginning to run out. All the while he was still drinking and taking the medicines for anxiety and depression. He reported that the psychiatrist would give him just about anything he wanted. He felt more and more out of touch and more and more anxious.

He came to believe that the combination of drugs and alcohol were doing more harm than good. Labor Day weekend he stopped drinking and taking some of the drugs. His anniversary date was 9/5/2011. I believe that he came to his first ODAAT meeting the Thursday after Labor Day. He became a regular at the ODAAT meetings and attended other meetings as well. He did pick up his two month chip and I was very proud of him because I knew how difficult it was for him. The change to sobriety was very difficult for him.

He was encouraged to basically do three things. First, go to a medical doctor and be tested to make sure the anxiety was not physical in origin in any part. Second, not to change taking of any of the depression medication without medical supervision. He was concerned about those drugs showing up on the drug test on job applications. He was told not to worry about that, but Larry's thinking was not always rational. Finally he was strongly encouraged to share with his loved ones what was happening to him. His response was, “Never!” It was suggested to do a little bit at a time, but to at least invite them into sharing the process. He could give love, but he had a very hard time accepting love when he felt unworthy.

Larry was very disappointed in Larry. At the bank he was making 6 figures, and now he was worried about passing the drug test for a low paying job. He considered himself a failure. However, he wanted a simpler life with less material goods and stress. He wanted to reach out and learn ways of helping others. He had a good heart. He had two job offers. He took the one with Mercedes Benz. I believe it was dealing with internet sales, but he was fearful of not being able to handle it.

Things were piling up around the first of December. He was starting a new job. His bills, mortgage, HOA dues were not going to be paid. His son, Tyler, was coming home on military leave. The last contact I had with him was I believe Friday December 2, 2011. We talked for awhile on the phone. He mentioned that he spoke and shared a little with his brother, Steve. Steve was very supportive, and was willing to help anyway he could. He would frequently talk on the phone with his loving Mom. She was able to visit with him in October. She tried to reach him several times over that weekend without success. She was eventually able to reach a neighbor and asked the neighbor to check on Larry. Larry was found deceased at that time.

What apparently happened was that Larry took a large dose of his meds with vodka, and passed away on Monday, December 5, his third month AA anniversary. Larry's motive was not clear. It may have been an accidental overdose. It may not have been accidental. It may also have been a result of going off his depression medications because of the job drug tests. These medications can be powerful, and so coming off of them can lead to intense extreme depression.

I was glad to know Larry, but very sad to lose him this way. Others will miss him and I know I will. I hope he was able to find the peace he was looking for.

Bob B.