Dr. Larry Papasan

Dr. Larry Wayne Papasan, 81, whose values of faith, hard work, and service above self were developed in a childhood on a North Mississippi farm and which led him to the pinnacle of business achievement, died Sunday, May 1, 2022, at Methodist Hospice Residence in Memphis. He was devoted to his wife of 58 years, Dianne Miller Papasan. His life was quintessentially Memphis: a boy from a humble rural background, drawn to a city with opportunity and whose deep commitment to his new hometown ultimately shaped its history.

Born on November 11, 1940, in rural Pinedale, Mississippi, to Robert Wayne Papasan and Mavour Ruth Gafford Papasan, he was an imaginative and enjoyable child. After seeing golf being played on TV, he took two pipes and bent the ends and flattened them into golf clubs, beginning a love of the game that would take him to the world’s most famous courses.

He attended North Mississippi Community College before transferring to Mississippi State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1963.

After graduation, he was hired at Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division as an engineer and advanced to become executive vice-president in 1982, and president and CEO in 1984, a position he would hold until 1991. His proudest and most rewarding accomplishment was a “people first” strategy that improved the public utility’s reputation with the public and repaired MLGW’s credibility. What he liked most about his job was “employees and customers.” He knew everyone’s name in the sprawling company and most years sent everyone a hand-written note. He contributed to MLGW’s accessibility and improved customer service by publishing his telephone number in the phone book and accepting calls from customers while he was at home. His phone would ring for years after he left MLG&W whenever power went out somewhere in town.

In addition, he became a much-quoted lecturer for the American Management Association, providing maxims that he learned from his longtime coach Maurice Mascarenhas that inspired other leaders. His mantra: “Happiness comes from being useful to God, family, and other human beings and the way to increase our happiness is to increase our usefulness to others.”

After Larry retired from MLG&W, he became president of the Smith & Nephew Ortho Division. Under his leadership, sales increased by more than 100 percent and profitability grew by 15 percent year-over-year. He created new programs that rewarded employees’ outstanding performance and one where any employee could directly ask him questions. Once he reached the corporate age limit in 2002, he retired, but continued as a director and lobbyist for Smith & Nephew for three more years. Another management principle that guided him: “If top management sets the example, there is no need to broadcast the rules,” and his example was one of humility, good humor, strategic focus, and empathy.

It often seemed that Larry had more hours in a day than anyone else. He mastered demanding jobs and inspired employees, he planned special family trips, he played golf whenever possible, and he began a lifetime of active, unselfish service to numerous organizations. They included, among others, Memphis Kiwanis Club president, Memphis Engineers Club, the Plough Foundation, Leadership Memphis (Class of 1984), United Way of Greater Memphis (general campaign chairman, 1987), University of Memphis’ Fogelman College of Business Advisory Board, Triumph Bank Board of Directors, First American National Bank of Memphis Board of Directors.

Although he served on corporate boards, his passion was fundraising for local nonprofits. His work included capital campaigns for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Memphis Zoo, Shelby Farms Park and the Church Health Center. He was also President of the Board of the Bible Museum.

In 2007, Larry served as interim executive director of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy during the critical 120-day start-up phase when it was transitioning from an advocacy group to manager of one of America’s largest urban parks. He later became a key member of the capital campaign cabinet which raised $72 million to realize the park’s vision. “There’s a reason the windshield of a car is much larger than the rearview mirror. To reach your destination, you need to look through the front windshield at the big picture and what’s happening down the road. You don’t go forward and make progress by looking in the rearview mirror,” he regularly said.

Servant leadership was the unshakable philosophy for his life: “Life is about service.” Because of his love for Memphis nonprofits and his understanding of their importance to his city, he was a gifted fundraiser, particularly if he could get a prospect on the golf course. Scott Morris, executive director of Church Health, described Larry’s fearless fundraising, asking for a million-dollar donation when Morris was prepared to ask for $10,000. It was said that he and his fundraising partners like Jim Prentiss were so effective that when potential donors saw them coming, they simply got out their checkbooks and started writing. Smith & Nephew also donated knee and hip replacements for patients at Church Health.

Among his proudest honors were Leadership Memphis Service to Community Award in 1991, the Le Bonheur Giving Societies Luminaire Award in 2012 for individuals who “held a light for others to follow their path,” the NEXUS Memphis Mentoring Award in 2017, and Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor’s Philanthropy Award. He was Chairman of the University of Memphis Board of Visitors, he established the Papasan Center for Public Policy, and he received an honorary doctor’s degree in 2012. He delivered the 2005 commencement address for University of Memphis on the theme of “The Main Thing is to Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing.”

He loved the game of golf and was a gifted player. He had three hole-in-ones and with Jack Blair played courses like Cypress Point Club at Pebble Beach, Augusta National, Royal County Down Golf Course in Northern Ireland, Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, and many other famed links. He was proud of his civic awards and almost as proud as his many golfing trophies.

He was a devoted deacon for about a half century at East Shelby Church of Christ, where his fervent prayers brought tears to his own eyes as well as to the congregation’s. There was no surprise when he was asked several times for the most influential book in his life, he always answered the Bible.

In addition to his beloved wife Dianne, Larry is survived by a daughter, Jan Papasan Mars and her husband Brent and their children Natalie Mars Milam, (J.R.), Katie Mars (Thompson Ferguson), and Jackson Mars all of Memphis and Collierville; a great-granddaughter Mia Grace Milam and a son Robert Jason (Jay) Papasan and his wife, Wendy, and their children Gus and Veronica Papasan, of Austin TX; and; his brother, Dr. Bobby (Ann) Papasan of Tunica; his sister, Ruth Ann Stroud of Pinedale; and his special aunt June Gafford Jumper of Pinedale and his special uncle, Gerald Gafford of Oxford. He was predeceased by his mother and father and his brothers-in-law, Jr. Stroud and Lindsay Allen, and his sister-in-law Sylvia Miller Allen.

When asked to write his own obituary, Larry echoed his favorite maxim: “I want them to say Larry was a servant leader. His happiness came from being useful to God, family, and other human beings. He increased his happiness by being more useful. He enriched the lives and service of many people.” The response to his life comes directly from Jesus’ parable: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The family is deeply grateful for the many communications of support from Larry’s friends and colleagues. A visitation will be held from 5-7pm, May 20, at the Memphis Funeral Home on Poplar Avenue. A second visitation will be held at 10am May 21, followed by a memorial service at 11am, at East Shelby Church of Christ (Collierville). In memorial, the family asks for donations to support the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Foundation, Church Health, Shelby Farms Conservancy, or Methodist Healthcare Foundation Hospice.