"Larry was a very special person. In the 30-something years I've been in college food service, I've never seen a management person who'd been so interactive with all the students," DDS Director Tucker Rossiter said. "He was truly a campus icon."
Although James was not in charge of other dining areas outside of Food Court, Rossiter said that, to students, James was truly "the face of DDS."
"I would ask someone, 'Who's the director of DDS?' and they'd always point to Larry," Rossiter said.
Until his condition worsened this spring, James had been living in Canaan, N.H., while he underwent treatment at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. James chose to remain in the Upper Valley after retiring to spend time with his 94-year-old mother at Lebanon Nursing Home. James was not married nor did he have children.
Although he lived close to Hanover, he chose to keep his illness secret from the Dartmouth community.
"I think he wanted everyone to always know him as he was [before his illness.] He wanted you to just remember Larry as Larry," Rossiter said. "I think he would have been overwhelmed if the student population was at DHMC to visit. He just thought he'd try to get over this."
Although James chose to keep his condition secret from the greater Dartmouth community, he received the support of his former co-workers and close friends, including Rossiter and Novack Cafe Manager Beth Rosenberger, who often brought DDS baked goods to James in the hospital.
According to Rossiter and family members, James maintained a positive outlook throughout his illness.
The former Food Court manager worked part-time at Cafe North at Dartmouth Medical School Fall term, and had planned on working at Novack Cafe Winter term but was unable to. Even after he grew too ill to work, he spoke to Rossiter about visiting campus in the future.
"I was sitting with him at the hospital just a month ago, and he said, 'I just need a couple of months to get healed. Then I'll feel stronger and I'll want to come back,'" recalled Rossiter. "For Larry, everything was about the future."
James had also been planning a party in honor of his upcoming 63rd birthday in July. The celebration was to be held in Bristol, Conn., where he had been living for the past few months to be closer to his family.
According to Rossiter, James elected early retirement to further pursue his favorite hobby -- traveling. He had planned a cruise to Mexico for his brother and him this coming October. Despite Larry's worsening condition, the two remained determined to go until about a month ago when Larry canceled the trip.
James had accumulated so many frequent flier miles over the years that he was able to purchase a first-class airplane ticket to his niece's wedding next summer.
"When Larry's condition was so bad that they knew he wouldn't be able to go, [Larry's brother] Robert asked, 'Would you give those miles up to my daughter?' and Larry broke up in tears, because he knew he wouldn't be able to go himself," his brother Arthur James recalled.
James's co-workers and Dartmouth students will remember him for his cheerful demeanor and passion for his job. He frequently asked students their names and home towns when ringing them up at the Food Court register. Larry also took pride in hosting themed days at Food Court, such as "April in Paris," "Mardi Gras" and "Dessert Banquet."
"There have always been special days, but Larry added a different element to them. He always was looking to add something to the event," Rossiter said. "Our hope is that he knew he touched a lot of people."
Rossiter and Arthur James recalled that Larry often bought his own costumes, such as a Dr. Seuss costume, colorful pants or a Santa Claus outfit, to wear on the special days at Food Court.
At an institution where students may become overwhelmed with academic, extracurricular and occupational pressures, James sought to turn Food Court into a stress-free oasis.
"He wanted to make your time at Food Court relaxing and fun," Rossiter said.
Although James passed away during interim, when most students were not on campus, news of his death elicited a wave of sympathetic BlitzMail messages and other personal communications. Dartmouth students posted photographs and anecdotes on a Facebook.com group, titled "Here's to you, Friend: A Larry James Tribute," as James frequently addressed his customers as "friend." The group currently has 358 members.
While students will remember Larry as the guardian of Dartmouth's Food Court, his brothers considered him "the baby of the family," as he was the youngest of four.
Hailing from the northeast, James left his hometown of Melrose, Mass., to study restaurant management at the University of Denver. He devoted nearly his entire career to college food service, first working at Ricker College in Maine, then at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, before coming to Dartmouth.
Arthur largely attributes his brother's career choice to his mother.
"My mother was in the food business. She was a caterer and a cook. Larry followed in our mother's footsteps," he said. "And after she got out of the catering business, she managed the high school cafeteria. I'm sure he was influenced by it."
While Larry was cherished as manager of Food Court, Dartmouth students weren't the first ones to express their admiration for him. According to Arthur James, the entire 1978 Ricker College yearbook was dedicated to him.
The James family will hold a memorial ceremony on July 8th, the day he would have turned 63 years old. The gathering will take place in the community room of the Riverview Apartments in Bristol, Conn., where Larry spent his last few months close to his brothers.
Larry's family is collecting anecdotes from friends, colleagues and acquaintances to be read at the service. Stories can be sent to larrystories@gmail.com.
The Tucker Foundation also tentatively plans to sponsor a memorial service for James on campus June 28 in Tindle Lounge at 3:30 p.m.
The flag on the Green remained at half-mast the weekend following his death.
"That's special because it isn't often done for retired staff members. But Larry's a special person," Rossiter said.
