Larry Place Credit: Courtesy You might not think that a pristine, freshly swept floor is a gift. It might not signal to you a son’s devotion, a husband’s love or a father’s care. But to us, the loved ones of Larry Place, the clean, cool cement floor of the garage, the everything-in-its-pla ce organization of the shelves in the basement and the neatly stacked firewood outside all represent the care he took in making our home. Larry departed this realm on August 10, 2026, and these things are the tiniest fraction of what we miss about him. Larry was born in 1939 in his aunt and uncle Mildred and Guy Tracy’s farmhouse in Monkton, and he first learned to use a push broom in his father Leon Place’s dairy barn while growing up on the family farm in Hinesburg. If the mangers weren’t swept immaculately clean, well, Dad simply made him do it over again. Picture Larry as a boy, riding his bike between the rows of stanchions while listening to the Red Sox game on the radio. Picture him in a smart bow tie and jacket graduating from Hinesburg High in 1957. Picture his mother, Joyce, writing him every day while he was in the Army for the next three years, stationed in Germany driving heavy equipment to rebuild roads and bridges. Did he tell her about the time they went to Barcelona on leave? Is that when he got that tattoo? If you were lucky enough to work with Larry at G.S. Blodgett in Burlington, you would know all about those spotlessly swept floors and meticulously organized work stations. Over 41 years with the company, Larry rose through the ranks from sweeping to spot welding to shipping and retired as a production supervisor. Never one to rest on his laurels, his retirement jobs included helping out (yes, even cleaning the floors) at Almost Home Market in Bristol, building timber frames with his son and grandson, countless home improvement projects, and, most recently, nine years at WowToyz in Vergennes. He loved his coworkers and bestowed upon them the same care and attention that he learned on the farm and carried throughout his life. Larry Place Credit: Courtesy He did all of this while also maintaining the tidiest and most bountiful backyard vegetable gardens; harvesting, cutting and splitting wood to heat the house every winter; fishing year-round; and worshipping at the altar of Fenway Park. Larry is survived by his wife of 43 years, Beth Newman-Place; children, Diane (Jeff) Sisters, Tracy (Rose), Stephen (Michelle), Karen (Roger) Bell, Andrew and Amy (Nick Bosco); seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; sister, Kathy (David) Newton; brothers, Hilton (the late Elaine), Sidney (Sallie), Jeff (Lorin), Glenn (Laurie) and Dennis (Jody); and a large, loving extended family and community of friends who remember his kindness and sense of humor. Picture his face lit up not just by the birthday candles while we all sing. Picture him standing proudly by the trailer nearly overflowing with giant logs. Picture all of us at the ballpark together — it could be Fenway or it could be somewhere further afield. We could be sitting behind home plate or in the bleachers, but we’re having a grand time. Please join us for a celebration of Larry’s life on September 20, 2026, 2 to 6 p.m., at Buck Ridge Barns, 8470 Route 116 in Hinesburg. Come as you are, and wear your Red Sox cap or your barn jacket. In lieu of flowers, consider planting a tree and giving your loved ones some really good hugs. The post Obituary: Larry Place, 1939-2026 appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less