Lawrence Casazza, 85

Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Casazza, a man of many talents and a love for adventure, passed away peacefully at the age of 85 at Merrill Gardens, First Hill in Seattle. Born and raised in East Aurora, New York, Larry attended Canisius High School and Canisius College before graduating from SUNY Medical School in 1964. He completed his pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland) in 1968 and earned a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1969.

While in Baltimore, Larry met and married Ada Kroon who was working to complete her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. The energetic couple shared many adventures during the time that they were married. Larry and Ada had three children together: Christopher, Claire and Danielle.

Larry's career took him all over the world, starting with his service as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy in Taipei, Taiwan, where he ran a tropical medicine research lab. He then taught as a Professor of Public Health at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, before working for the World Bank in Latin America and Asia in the mid-1970s. In 1978, inspired by providence and driven by the optimism of the times, Larry moved his family to Whitefish, Montana, where he set up the town's first private pediatric practice. In the early 2000s, Larry finished his career working for World Vision and other organizations, including a nonprofit organization that he formed, African Communities Against Malaria (ACAM), which allowed him to spend considerable time in Africa, a place he loved and where he developed a fondness for the people and cultures there.

Larry's thirst for adventure was evident in his personal life as well. He enjoyed running, hiking and riding his bike to work when the weather permitted. In Whitefish, Larry helped start a cross-country ski club. In 2008, at the age of 70, he climbed to the top of Mount Kenya.

Larry is survived by his three children, Chris Casazza (Gwyneth Casazza) of Seattle, Washington, and Claire Casazza (Koy McKelvy) and Danielle Hurd (Derek Hurd), of Boise, Idaho, as well as two of his brothers, Daniel Casazza of Eureka, Montana, and Timothy Casazza of Erie, Pennsylvania; his sister Gertrude Weissenberger and his brother Michael Casazza preceded him in death. Larry will be remembered for his love of adventure, his dedication to public health, his love for his family and his strong Christian faith. His passing is a great loss to all who knew him, but his memory will live on through the many lives he touched.