Dr. Lawrence Joseph Messina, 74, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away on Friday March 18, 2022. Larry was born in St. Louis, MO on September 27, 1947 and later lived in Peoria, IL before making his way to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University in 1965. After graduating from Louisiana State University Medical School in 1973, Larry completed his residency following stints with many medical institutions, most notably the Hughston Orthopedic Clinic in Columbus, GA, Tulane University & Affiliated Hospitals in New Orleans, and New Orleans Charity Hospital before becoming board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1979. After completing his residency, Larry and his wife Linda decided to make Baton Rouge their permanent home where he joined the Bone and Joint Clinic and held affiliations with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Baton Rouge General. While Larry has been greatly missed by the men and women with whom he worked alongside since his retirement in 2017, his selfless contributions to his patients, fellow clinicians, and the community will undoubtedly be a defining characteristic that lives on for many years. Larry was a man of many passions that he shared with his large, Italian family. Whether it was gardening with the love of his life, Linda, cooking with his oldest son, Todd, hunting with his son, Tommy, watching Formula 1 with his youngest son, Travis, or going to watch the Tigers with his only daughter, Meagan, Larry always immersed himself in learning how to master the task at hand. He is survived by his wife of nearly 48 years, Linda, his four children and their families; Todd (Susie) of Fort Worth, Tommy (Jodi) of Baton Rouge, Travis (Paige) of Nashville, and Meagan (Brett) Beter of New Orleans as well as eight grandchildren; Sebastian, Nicholas, Luke, Maggie, Millie, Victoria, Wren and Sophia, who affectionately used the nickname “Doc” for their beloved grandfather. He is also survived by his brother and best friend, John Messina. He is preceded in death by his parents, Sebastian and Doris Messina, and his brother J.T. Messina. A Funeral Service will be held at Saint Jude the Apostle Church in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, with Visitation at 9:00AM followed by a Memorial Service at 10:00AM
