Lawrence "Larry" Diodato

Larry was one of a kind. He had a magnetic personality and was a presence wherever he went, charismatic, smart, hilarious and always had a story to tell. He was as entertaining as anyone you will ever meet. He was always just larger than life.

Larry was one of the most gifted natural athletes. He was a childhood phenom in baseball throwing 90+ miles per hour at 14yrs old and having a curveball that seemed to drop off a table. Unfortunately his coaches pitched him far too often with little rest and Larry developed elbow issues which halted his promising baseball career. So he focused his energy on basketball and football. Not that you would guess by looking at him but Larry in his day was probably one of the best high school / playground / rec league basketball players you ever saw. He was impossible to stop with that big frame and cat like quickness. He used to love to play on the weekends at Bronxville High School where he would take on the players from their varsity team, including now NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his brothers.

He was a great older brother to Robert. Protective. Supportive. Inspirational.

Larry attended Columbia University on an athletic scholarship but cut his education short to enter the business world, and throughout his life he carried his unmistakable presence—one that drew people in and made them feel welcome.

A self-employed salesman and entrepreneur, Larry built his working life with drive and independence. His professional path was as distinctive as he was, including work as a personal trainer and, notably, as a bodyguard to Sam Kinison. In every role, Larry brought energy, confidence, and a natural ability to connect with others—often with a well-timed laugh and the ease of someone born to hold a room.

Larry’s dedication to fitness was a defining part of his life. An avid bodybuilder, he was at the gym every day and sometimes twice each day, committed to eating healthy, and participated in bodybuilding competitions up until a few years ago. That discipline was matched by a big-hearted devotion at home: his dogs were his passion as well as his stepchildren, Brooke and Carlee.

To know Larry was to feel known. He was a friend to all—someone who greeted old friends and new faces alike with a smile, and who made people laugh with an effortless, generous spirit. Once you met him, you felt as if you were his lifelong friend.

Family was everything to Larry, not only his immediate family, but also a large extended family of friends who were family in every way that mattered. Larger than life and extremely generous, Larry leaves behind the memory of a kind soul, a born entertainer, and a man whose warmth and humor will be profoundly missed.

Larry is survived by his brother Robert Diodato, sister Susanne Diodato, his aunt Cecelia Coyle, uncle Mario Diodato, and aunt Maryann Diodato, his cousins Cathie Miller, Paul Spano, Christina Noyer, Salvatore Spano, Dora Barbaro, Michael Coyle, Lori Ann Spinello, step-children, Brooke Lewis and Carlee Navalany, and two nephews Seamus & Emmett Carroll, Gina Schwartz, Tyler Schwartz and Alexis Schwartz. Larry is predeceased by his parents, Claire and Frank Diodato.

A Celebration of Life for Larry will be held from 12:00pm - 4:00pm on Sunday, October 4th at Avalon Beach House, 110 E Atlantic Avenue # 220, Delray Beach, Florida 33444.