REMEMBERING LARRY GLICK

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Hebrews 9:27)

This morning I learned that former Boston radio “talkmaster” Larry Glick died last night following ten hours of open heart surgery. The WBZ website listed him as 87, but I believe he was actually 86 and would have been 87 in May.

Learning of Larry Glick’s passing put me in a sad and reflective mood, for I did have a connection to Larry Glick which was more than just listening to him on the radio. For one thing, Larry Glick was a personal friend of my Uncle J.P. “Jimmy” Keddy. Jimmy Keddy was married to my Dad’s eldest sister, Bea. On the show, Jimmy Keddy was always known as “Mr. McGillicuddy” or “Jim McGillicuddy”. He was a frequent caller and visitor to Larry Glick. Although Larry Glick had a very charismatic, vivacious, and extroverted personality, Keddy described him as a shy man in private.

There are some people you just feel a CONNECTION to, and I definitely felt a connection to Larry Glick. Not only did I speak to him on the air several times, (and had a Glick University tee-shirt) but we spoke by phone off air several times. I was really honored that Larry Glick trusted me enough to give me his home phone number. Evangelicals will understand what I mean when I say I’d shared the Gospel with Larry Glick. Like a lot of people, he heard it willingly, but held to the belief that “whatever you want to believe, IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD, is O.K.” Well, Biblically speaking, that’s wrong and crazy! He was also very much into hypnosis, and put on a lot of shows as a hypnotist. I know he was very close friends with Paul Tavilla (of the New England Produce center) who was also a born-again Christian and so Larry indeed received the Gospel many times. Did he ever respond to it and “ask Jesus into his heart”? I don’t know. I do know he was born a Jew but embraced what I’d call a very loosy, goosy spirituality.

I said I felt a connection to him. For one thing, I’ve got a VERY similar personality. I’m very shy one-on-one but I have no problem getting up and speaking to large groups. Usually I’m an entertaining, captivating speaker, as he was. There was other stuff as well, such as him being friends with my Uncle, and the fact that his daughter’s wedding was the same day as my wedding: August 28, 1982. When I told that to Larry in one phone conversation, he said, “We’re connected somehow psychically.” Well, I’D never have phrased it quite that way, but I got his point.

Larry Glick was easily the most interesting and entertaining radio talk show host to ever grace the Boston airwaves. He retired in 1992, and there’s no one who has truly taken his place. I understand that over the past couple of years, he was working as a “greeter” in the evenings at Legal Sea Foods in Boca Raton, Florida. I’d love to have gotten down there sometime, had a great meal, and had another chat with Larry Glick, but alas, it’s not to be.

I’m misty eyed today, and my condolences go out to Larry Glick’s family.