Dr. Laurence Samuel Chadwick, “Galesburg’s best friend”, passed from this life onto his next adventure on February 17, 2022, after a lifetime of joy, jokes, and endless love for his family, friends, and community.
Larry was born on June 19. 1931 in Royal Oak, Michigan to Patrick Samuel Chadwick and Grayce Henrietta Hupert Chadwick. He was raised in Inkster, Michigan where his father worked for the Ford Motor Company and his mother ran a country grocery store.
His education began in a one room elementary school where he excelled in math and did not learn to read. His unconventional mother took matters into her own hands and began to search for a school that could teach her brilliant son how to read. She found a reading expert at Roosevelt Military Academy who taught dyslexic students how to read before dyslexia was even understood or diagnosed. At age 13, Larry boarded a train from Detroit to Aledo, Illinois where he began the next stage of his life.
Larry learned to read then excelled in school. In addition, he played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track for the Roosevelt Military Academy. Military school had many lessons for our young, spirited student. His bright mind and adventuresome spirit earned him many demerits that he had to work off by walking the slab. It all ended well because he graduated with honors and as the Captain of his Company – Company B – in 1949.
Larry met the love of his life, Doris McBride, during their senior year in high school while performing in Romeo and Juliet. Doris was Juliet and Larry was Friar Lawrence. Larry was smitten with Doris from the beginning and pursued her with his enormous heart until she finally said yes to a first date in 1949. They were married in 1951.
Knox College was the next step in his education. He loved college: the thrill of learning; playing football; being in the ROTC; and, being a member of the Beta Theta Phi fraternity. In 1953 Larry and Doris moved to the big city of Chicago for Larry to attend the Illinois College of Optometry. He loved everything about optometry school. Doris worked on Michigan Avenue in the Palmolive building as a stenographer to 3 executives at Kaiser Aluminum. Larry drove a cab on the side and Doris worked full time so they could graduate without debt.
In 1957 Larry came back to Galesburg to join W.W. Sherwood, O.D. in his optometric practice retiring in 1996. In 1999 Peter Kehoe, O.D. encouraged the retired Larry to come back to work for Kehoe Eye Care. Ever the inquisitive student, Larry returned to school to become licensed to prescribe medicine at the age of 68! Each year, his experience combined with new knowledge allowed him to deliver the highest level of care to his patients. Dr. Chadwick was honored by the Illinois Optometric Association for his distinguished career of 60 years.
Larry sat on the board of several organizations and served as President for many of them. He was an active member of the Salvation Army, the First United Methodist Church, Kiwanis Club, Galesburg Jaycees, Toastmasters, Soangetaha Country Club, Illinois Optometric Association, and the American Optometric Association.
Knox College recognized his decades of active volunteering and fundraising with a Knox Service Award in 2003. The Xi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at Knox named a room in honor of Larry for his years of service and for answering all of the late night calls of his young Beta brothers. They honored him again as a charter inductee of the Xi Chapter Hall of Fame. Larry joyously went to his weekly meetings of Kiwanis Club with perfect attendance for 55 years. His local Kiwanis Club awarded him the Hixson Fellow Award for his dedicated service.
Larry is preceded in death by his son, Robert Laurence Chadwick. Larry is survived by his beloved wife, Doris Marie, his daughter Constance Marie (James Kean), his grandchildren, Laurence Chadwick “Chad” Kean and Victoria Marie “Torre” Kean (Carlos Capistran), and his great-grandchildren James Carlos and Luna Teresa Capistran.
Private family burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. The memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the First United Methodist Church. Rev. Vince Rohn will officiate. The family will receive friends and loved ones at a luncheon following the service at Soangetaha Country Club. Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church or to Knox College Beta Theta Pi House Fund. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services Galesburg Chapel is honored to serve the family. Online condolences may be left for the family on the funeral home’s website at www.h-p-w.com.
