Community comes together to honor Larry Dysart

‘We interrupt this marriage for basketball season’

Published November 21, 2019

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — How do you measure the impact a life genuinely well lived?

For starters, when a room filled with old friends from each decade of that life come together to share many laughs, shed a few tears and then smile again upon hearing the old, familiar stories, it’s a pretty good indication that you’ve done it right.

Monday night was such an evening when the community came together to recognize the accomplishments of a man whose legacy is woven into the tapestry of this town and within the childhood memories of three generations of kids who had the good fortune of calling him “coach.”

That man is Lawrence “Larry” Dysart Jr. who pretty much single-handedly defined North Reading Youth Basketball, helping to create it about 45 years ago and remaining on its board until recently retiring from this volunteer labor of love due to failing health.

The overdue recognition of Dysart was the idea of his longtime friend, Bob Ramsdell, who approached the Select Board and state Rep. Brad about arranging some public recognition.

“Unfortunately, Larry is not feeling very well and he just could not muster enough strength to come tonight. Please keep him in your prayers,” Ramsdell said.

Larry’s wife, Mary Lou, and two of their three children, Lawrence A. Dysart III (a.k.a. Lad), and Elizabeth “Buffy” (Dysart) Rymill, accepted the tributes on his behalf. However, Larry was able to watch the live cable stream from home, as was their other son Peter, who lives in Minnesota.

At the end of the tribute Lad Dysart told the Transcript a sign in their kitchen was indicative of his parents’ sense of humor when he was growing up: “We interrupt this marriage for basketball season.”

Ramsdell penned a heartfelt tribute, “A Man For All Seasons,” which encapsulated all of Larry’s accomplishments over the years. He started with Little League in the 1970s; the formation of NRYB in the mid-1970s, for both boys and girls; his dedication to the development and success of the travel program for girls in grades 5-8 and then branching out to assist the regional Merrimack Valley Youth Basketball League, in addition to assisting with local youth softball.

Together with his wife, they also supported the band, choral and theatrical aspirations of their own children as well as their church and assisted at the polls as election workers while also both juggling their careers, he as a mathematician and she as a school psychologist for the North Reading schools.

A Man for All Seasons

Ramsdell got the ball rolling by reading the following tribute:

“From the perspective of the North Reading community, any conversation about Larry Dysart has to start with his involvement in youth sports. Larry has been around for three generations of North Reading’s children. He has impacted hundreds of children in ways almost too numerous to mention. He was the player-agent way back in the ‘70s for North Reading Little League. This was before computers stored all the information for everybody. He was the computer.

“When he left Little League, he did not stay inactive for long. What came next was an approximately 45-year labor of love with youth basketball. He started and nurtured the North Reading Youth Basketball program for both boys and girls. He served in almost every role throughout his time, from registrar to accountant to coaching and everything in between. He certainly had help along the way but until his recent “retirement” from the board he was the only one still involved in youth basketball from the beginning.

“As he gained experience, he enjoyed sharing his expertise, showing any interested party how to do things the right way. He was always practical; never political. The town recreation programs also benefited from Larry’s expertise and clear vision. He was on that board throughout most of the ‘90s. Larry was not only involved with Little League and Youth Basketball, but he also found time to lend a helping hand to Girls’ Youth Softball.

“Organization has always been his strong suit, but coaching was his love and passion. By the ‘90s his daughter was long out of the youth basketball program, but he continued to coach a group of girls starting in the fifth grade and carried through with them to the eighth grade, including in-town and travel teams. He treated all levels of players alike. With his coaching they learned the game and often gave back to the program, teaching and mentoring younger girls.

“Larry not only helped North Reading girls succeed in the world of basketball, but many girls throughout the Merrimack Valley with his involvement in the River Valley League. He ran the program from scheduling to rules development which has helped them prosper for decades.

“Anyone who had a daughter playing travel basketball knew Larry. Any varsity girls player from North Reading could be sure of one thing – when she took the court, Larry would be there cheering her on. Only recently has he passed his basketball duties to the next generation (twice removed). Mary Lou Dysart, Larry’s wife of many years, was a remarkable woman in her own right. She supported and put up with her gym rat husband’s devotion to the game and to the youth of North Reading and beyond.

“Beyond youth sports, Larry and Mary Lou were both big supporters of the school system’s band, choral, and theatrical programs in the 1970s and 1980s as their three children, Lad, Buffy, and Peter, progressed through them. They supervised, fed, and chaperoned their children and their classmates. Of course, they were always enthusiastic audience members as well. Larry also traveled on Middle School trips, including the famous Charlie Jones trips for years, even after his own children had moved on.

“Regular church goers, Larry and Mary Lou helped with coffee and doughnuts after the 9 o’clock Mass at St. Theresa’s. Merrimack College enjoyed Larry’s math expertise as he taught there and later tutored students for many years after his formal retirement. He also worked in software development for a number of years.

“Larry always carries himself with a smile and always takes good-natured ribbing in a playful way, often playing along. We used to call him ‘Abe’ on the board because of his beard. He is soft-spoken and yet commands the respect of those around him, a respect he has earned through his dedication, selflessness, and fairness.

“His dedication to the youth of North Reading is incalculable. Touching the lives of so many boys and girls in town, he will always be remembered. Larry’s first thought is never about himself, but always about what he could do for others. This is what makes Larry the great person that we all can aspire to be. There are few people that have positively impacted children and adults to the extent that Larry has.

“When looking at the town of North Reading, Larry is right there among the very top of that list.”

State Rep Brad Jones, who was a classmate of the Dysart’s oldest son, made everyone laugh when he recalled, “To me, Larry was my first coach, my last coach and only coach, most likely because I was a terrible basketball player. To him, I’m probably his worse basketball player ever. But he was a larger-than-life caring and colorful character about town. The reality is communities like North Reading are built on the shoulders of people like Larry Dysart and Mary Lou. We are a better community for him having volunteered his time and talent in working with our youth.”

Jones added that he felt privileged to honor Larry and present the joint resolution from the Massachusetts General Court, co-signed by Senator Bruce Tarr, to Dysart’s family on his behalf to honor his “dedicated service to the youth sporting leagues in the town of North Reading.”

Select Board Chair Kathryn Manupelli invited members of the public to also speak.

“Anyone who has ever played on one of Larry’s teams will fondly remember the orange van with the purple stripe,” recalled fellow coach Jeff Strong.

This was one of those moments when everyone in the room laughed in agreement because those who know Larry know that his favorite colors are bright orange and purple, worn together whenever possible.

Adding that Larry was more than a coach to his players, Strong said, “He was actually a teacher of the game. (He) taught fundamentals very well so that the players would have a greater understanding and therefore more success on the court. Those lessons carried over into real life.”

“After the game there was always a stop at a famous fast food restaurant. Then the orange van with the purple stripe would ping-pong around town and drive all the kids home, above and beyond the call of duty that we just don’t see anymore,” Strong said.

“I had the pleasure of working with Larry for many years. He eventually crossed over and joined my softball team as an assistant coach (and) had a blast, the kids loved him, and it was just such a positive thing. I am glad that we had the opportunity to recognize Larry today, and thank the Select Board for doing so.”

Select Board member Stephen O’Leary said he has known the Dysarts “for decades” and was glad that his own sons had the chance to be coached by Larry.

“People like Larry and Mary Lou … truly are the fabric of this community. To Brad’s point, without people like them we wouldn’t have what we call ‘community.’ We’d just have a place to come home at night, turn off the lights and go to sleep,” O’Leary said.

“Larry’s contributions to youth sports are virtually unmatched. A lot of us get involved coaching youth sports because our kids are involved. To Buffy and Lad and Peter, that’s why your parents got involved,” O’Leary continued, however, beyond the cycle of their own kids’ sports careers, he added that “your dad remained committed because he saw the positive impact that he could have on generations of our community, and beyond our community.”

“Forty years of dedicated service, that is such a long time. Larry was not an elected official but he was absolutely an official of the town,” remarked Select Board member Andy Schultz. “How many kids passed through his programs? I can’t think 40 years ago the amount of girls that may have not had access to sports that they have today because of people like Larry.

“For the Dysart family, I know this is probably a bittersweet time for you. I know Larry is not feeling well and all I can say is I hope Larry is at peace and God bless you and your family,” Schultz added.

Manupelli said she could not add any more to what had already been said so eloquently. “We do hope he is listening and hope he is hearing all of these accolades. One of the things that we all remember when we are young is who our coaches were, by name, by style, by how they lead us.”

She then read her board’s Certificate of Appreciation: “The Select Board and the Town of North Reading are pleased to present this remembrance of their high regard and appreciation to Lawrence ‘Larry’ Dysart in recognition of over four decades of service to North Reading’s youth sports and recreational programs as a coach, league board member, mentor and supporter.”