| Graduation Year | Class of 1984 |
| Date of Passing | Jun 18, 1985 |
| About | Thirty years ago the world lost a brother, a son, an uncle and a friend. As this anniversary of his death approaches, you can’t help but wonder what would have become of him. He was just 18 when he was killed in a car accident returning home from a short trip to Maine. At the time of his death, this Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School graduate was already demonstrating that he was a man of integrity and a leader among his peers. Chris was the last of ten children and his father, who he followed around like Tiny Tim, died when Chris was five. He was an energetic kid and seemed to find himself in trouble a lot when he was young. At the age of 16, he found himself at a crossroads. He found his voice as a leader and began the process of mentoring, cajoling and guiding his friends out of trouble. He became focused on being healthy and having healthy relationships. He demonstrated courage and suffered consequences for standing up to older kids who were leading his peers down the wrong path. The adversity that he had encountered in his young life made him a person fueled by compassion. He became the captain of the high school football team and a good student athlete and representative of the community. Chris spent a year at Northeastern University where he continued to be a strong leader helping young college students make good decisions in their personal lives. He had a heart that understood how to love and how to share in his joy for life. He died at 11:00 am on June 18, 1984, three weeks before his 19th birthday, on a highway, when his car collided with a truck driven by a boy who was born on the same day. At Chris' funeral there was a song that said, "A gardener like that one, no one can replace." Those words remain true today. After Chris’s death a scholarship for young athletes was created in his memory. This fundraiser is to raise money to reinvigorate the Chris Larned Memorial Scholarship fund. The scholarship will be given to students at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School who have displayed strong leadership skills and excellence among their peers. http://www.crowdrise.com/agardenerlikethatonenoonecanreplace/fundraiser/michelleweiser |
