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Joseph Lawrence “Larry” Tribble was born on March 18,1951, in Memphis, TN and died on August 17, 2022 in Sweden where he had lived all of his post college years. Larry attended West Side, Jarman Jr. High and Midwest City High School, graduating in 1969. Larry worked hard and obtained a full basketball scholarship to Oklahoma City University. He had a photographic memory and retention to schoolwork was easy for him. On graduation day at OCU, he found out he had failed in two courses and had to work to pay for those two classes and go to summer school to get his bachelor’s degree in physical education. Larry had a humorous side so it didn’t take much convincing him to dress in drag as a cigarette girl in a high school skit. My fish net stockings never fit me again. Another time he was dancing in our living room, fell into the living room wall and had a hard time convincing mom it was an accident. A good friend from college, Marvin Rich, called him and told him about an opportunity to play pro basketball in Sweden. He sold everything he had and moved to Sweden. He made the team but two Americans weren’t allowed to play on the same team. During the offseason, he ran a restaurant in an old farmhouse. He later married a Swedish woman, Lilian, who taught him Swedish and got him the job in the restaurant. He traveled all over Europe with his team and family. Lilian had a daughter from another relationship, Asa, and together they had a son Joel. Larry eventually retired and opened a restaurant of his own. He decided it wasn’t for him and sold it. He got a job at a high school his son had attended. He was vice principal. One student was threatening kids and teachers. The principal had Larry discipline him. The student pulled out a razor blade. Larry took him down and they expelled him. The kid told Larry he’d get him fired. Larry laughed and told him he had witnesses that he pulled the razor blade on him and it was in defense that he took him down. No one got hurt and Larry became a hero. Larry ran for a city office and served a number of years. Larry joined a band and played tenor saxophone. Larry was preceded in death by parents Jim and Maxine Tribble, and brother Russell. Larry is survived by sister Cheryl Winters and brother Jim and sister-in-law Karen, son Joel, as well as many nephews and nieces. He came home almost every July for about four weeks. He went to many high school reunions and visited with college friends while he was here. The memorial will be held at the J.E. Sutton Field House on Saturday, November 26, 2022 at 2 p.m. The MCHS museum will be open at noon for those who care to see it. It’s the original entrance to the school, just north of the field house. |
