Last month we lost a good friend, Father Larry Nolan. Father Larry was a part of QSDS
from the very beginning, when we were at the Pontifical College Josephinum. He was,
by nature, a friendly but shy man. At first he would quietly set up his camera and tripod
in the doorway or very back of a classroom and photograph the students and teachers
as they sewed or scrutinized their designs pinned to the design boards. As he got to
know us and became more comfortable, he became an integral part of the QSDS
experience. Father Larry had a special knack for snapping interesting photos of the
teachers. An entire class would actually pay attention and hold still for a nice group shot
under Larry Nolan’s direction—I wish he was still there with me every time I try to
accomplish the same task at QSDS each year
Father Larry was a man of many talents. His artistic pursuitss included glass blowing
and quilt making as well as photography. He was always interested in learning new
things. He did not share my fondness for capturing the quirky, funny or simply odd
moments of life at QSDS—he left that part up to me. On the other hand, he was always
a good sport. One year, when a friend sent me a birthday package containing “elderlythemed”
temporary tattoos, Father Larry good-naturedly let Tracy apply one on his arm.
It complimented the indoor scooter he was zipping around on at that time.
I have been truly blessed to know such a kind and caring person, someone whose
entire life was devoted to service and learning, someone who had found peace and joy
in life. As I slip in and out of classrooms with my own little cameras, something of Father
Larry Nolan will always be there with me.
