Lawrence (Larry) Sobel, who always challenged us to think and never failed to make us laugh, passed away May 20, 2012. His sense of humor, enduring friendships, intense dedication to being a clinical pharmacist and his caring concern for those he served will be remembered by those he has left behind way too soon.
Larry was a doting husband to Maureen, a loving father to Wendy (Kyle) Dougan and Darren (Cheryl MacDonald) Sobel, an adoring grandfather to Amanda and Rachel Dougan and Emily MacDonald, and a grateful stepfather to Derick Rivero. To his sister Patti Parson he was always the supportive older brother – and her hero in an essay she wrote that earned her a college scholarship. Larry was steadfast with his old Weaver buddies, including Mickey Herman, Dick Dressler, Barry Wise, Elliot Booth and the late Sandy Goldstein; and with new friends including Shawn Field (who read the newspaper to him every day since he took ill); and with his pharmacy and nursing home colleagues too numerous to mention but whose years of friendship gave him so much pleasure. He and his family are so grateful to Dr. Nate and Pam Lassman, for friendship, concern and insights; Larry, Maureen and Patti could not have made it through the last year without them. They also are appreciative of St. Mary Home which surrounded him with care and love after so many years of working together.
Larry never rested, always anxious to get out information about medicine, whether he was serving on the State Medicare D Task Force, instructing nurses, writing books, lobbying Congress or heading up managed care pharmaceutical companies which worked closely with nursing homes. He had just started at ProCare LTC, before which he was Director of Pharmacy and Clinical Services at DiscoverRx, President of Health Care Consultant Group, and President and CEO of Value Health Care and later for Omnicare. A graduate of the University of Connecticut where he got his pharmacy and clinical associates education, he was President Emeritus of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and a flight medic and pharmacist in the U.S. Air Force.
Funeral services will be held at Weinstein’s Mortuary, Wednesday at 11 a.m. with burial at the Hartford Mutual Society Cemetery in East Granby. Shiva will be observed immediately after internment at Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford. Please go to http://larryjsobel.com to leave your thoughts and memories. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make donations to Beth Israel or the charity of their choice.
