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A Community Bids Farewell: Sharing Memories Of William H. Larrabee

photo provided Bill Larrabee stands at his McDonough Drive home with a sextant from his WWII years.

photo provided Bill Larrabee and May Fay stand at the wreath commemoration ceremony during the Memorial Day festivities.

Tuesday March 4, 2014

By Cookie Steponaitis

When William “Bill” Larrabee left this earth this past week he had lived in his Little City home for over  ninety years and shared his adventures with his wife of sixty-six years Rebecca. Bill’s life has been interwoven in the lives, minds and hearts of the people of Addison County for so long it is almost impossible to consider a world without him in it. Bill was known to generations as a veteran, postal clerk, professional bartender and civic leader who never seemed to age or slow down. He always took time to smile, talk and help out others who he felt needed a hand and no matter the role in which he was known William Larrabee was respected and loved.
    Bill the sailor served from 1942-1982 in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves. He enlisted as a Chief Torpedo’s Mate in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1946 and served aboard a three hundred eleven foot nine inches World War II submarine with a crew of young men spanning the American continent. “You had to know every bolt, every airline and every hydraulic line,” shared Bill of his experiences. “We were sent out on war patrols on average of sixty-ninety days. On average we were at depths of 300-450 feet but I had occasion to go to 1100 feet once.” Rigged for what was at the time known as ‘deep running’ the subs would often go silent when the enemy was located. “You did not speak,” explained Bill to this Voice reporter in 2008. “You walked around in your socks and we sat on the bottom and played dead.” Bill came away with more than a sense of self and self-discipline from his experiences. He often spoke of how you had to, “take care of yourself and your crew because there were no services or filling stations out in the Pacific Ocean.” With a Navy career that spanned four years of active service and thirty-five years in the Naval Reserves in the position of Chief-Master-At-Arms, many locals have in their minds the image of Bill and other distinguished veterans laying the wreath at the monument in the park each Memorial Day. Bill was dedicated, devoted and proud of both his nation and those who continue to serve it to this day.
    Bill the civic leader helped in his community up to the day of his passing. He was an active member in the Dorchester Lodge No.1 and a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason. Bill also served in the Cairo Shriners, American Legion Post #14 and was a lifelong member of the Submarine Veterans of WWII, Groton Connecticut. Bill also would proudly speak of being a charter member of the Vergennes Lions Club. Whether he was delivering food to the elderly or simply helping out what Bill lovingly referred to as, “old people to the doctor day,” Bill would transport and assist local people often much younger than himself with the same gentle humorous but steely determination that got him through the war and home safely to those he loved. Bill Larrabee helped because he chose to and could, and felt it linked people together as community and friends. If you called he went; if you offered to pay, he refused, if you needed advice, a smile or just a kind word, Bill provided it.
    Bill the family man was devoted to his wife and loved the view of the Little City from his front porch that overlooked Otter Creek and the falls. A walking treasure trove of local history, Bill often remarked that his favorite times were when the family was gathered and the generations were present. The Larabees had one son, one daughter and also a treasured granddaughter and great-granddaughters Chelsea and Rachel. Service was more than a word for Bill, it was a way of life and a means of giving back to the community he proudly called his own.
    Bill’s legacy extends far beyond the obvious admiration and thanks of the local community who considered him an institution. Bill’s life and how he lived it like others of his generation leaves a legacy for people today. Tireless in his leadership, grounded in his sense of country and service and one who reached out to all people, Bill Larrabee left behind a lifetime of moments enriching not only the lives of those he touched but served as a model for those who came after him. In case you catch yourself looking for Bill in the coming months, do not despair because if you are quick, just out of the corner of your eye you will see him there. Perhaps it will be in the hand of a volunteer helping others or a quick smile or joke to a person who looks down, or most likely you will feel his presence on the green during Memorial Day as the wreath will be laid by a new generation. “Now I am going to rely on you to put this all together,” Bill remarked to this Voice reporter in 2008. “I am not one who is much for words.” Maybe not Bill Larrabee, but your life and deeds spoke volumes. A county pauses and promises that we remember and we are giving thanks that the world had such as you in it.

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