Hermosa was a feather in Larry Thompson’s cap
Lawrence (Larry) Thompson, a long time Hermosa Beach welder known for wearing feathers in his hats and driving one of the area’s first electric carts, passed away peacefully in his home on Friday, Feb. 8, surrounded by family members. He was 85 and had been suffering from heart disease.
Welder Larry Thompson wasn’t shy about his opinions.
Thompson owned Lawresa Welding, on Cypress Street in Hermosa Beach from 1976 to 1983. He was a frequent participant in the St Patrick’s Day Parade, representing the Garden Club with his wife Theresia, driving his colorfully decorated electric cart. He was also a member of the Hermosa Beach Historical Society, the Kiwanis Club, and the Knights of Columbus. He wore feathers in his hats and homemade bolo ties with polished rocks on the ends to honor his Native American heritage. Due to poor vision (an understatement), the electric cart was later replaced with a three-wheeled, electric bicycle. He could be seen driving around town with a sign on the back of the bike protesting the lack of funding for medical research, donning a white hard hat with a spray of colorful feathers glued on the side.
Thompson was born on July 23, 1927 in a town near Akron, Ohio named Brady’s Lake. He joined the Navy at 16 and served in World War II in the Pacific theater as a Seabee. Following his military service, he worked extensively as a welder in South America, Vietnam (during the war) and Saudi Arabia.
An exceptional artist (even though he never thought he was), Thompson was the ultimate “jerry-rigger.” The results weren’t always pretty, but it always worked. His readiness and eagerness to volunteer earned him the Knights of Columbus “golden lemon squeezer” award. He was an institution in the Knights of Columbus lemonade booth at the Hermosa fiestas festivals.
Thompson is survived by his two daughters (Model Juaquez and Star Ashford ), step children (former Hermosa Beach City Councilman “JR” Reviczky, Maria Reviczky Cracknell and Anita Reviczky Stoddard), his wife (Theresia Thompson), mother-in-law (Theresia Hafner, age 99), nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
A celebration of his life is pending. Donations in his name can be directed to Rancho San Antonio in Chatsworth. Rancho San Antonio is a multi-service residential agency serving court-ordered adolescent boys. (ranchosanantonio.org).