NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – The hallways of West Jessamine High School fell unusually quiet this week as students and staff learned of the passing of Larry Crawford, the effervescent instructional assistant and master pianist whose infectious energy and kindness touched generations of Colts.
Known simply as “Mr. Larry” to thousands of students, Crawford spent more than a decade as the heartbeat of the school’s fine-arts wing. Whether accompanying the choir at winter concerts, improvising pep-rally walk-up music for basketball players, or slipping into character each December as the school’s official elf (complete with bells and a mischievous grin), he turned ordinary moments into memories.
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“Larry didn’t just play the piano; he made the whole building feel alive,” said band director Emily Reynolds. “You could be having the worst day, walk past the auditorium, hear him working through a piece, and suddenly everything felt lighter.”
Even after a cancer diagnosis several years ago, Crawford refused to step away from the students he loved. He continued showing up for rehearsals, grading papers between treatments, and promising everyone he’d be back on the bench for one more spring musical. Colleagues say his quiet courage became its own master class in resilience.
“Kids watched how he handled the hardest parts of life with grace and humor,” said principal Amy Eddins. “That was maybe the most important lesson he ever taught.”
Current and former students flooded social media with tributes: photos of Crawford in his signature elf hat, videos of him nailing the dramatic finale of a talent-show number, and stories of the countless times he stayed late to help someone learn a tough chord progression or simply listen when they needed to talk.
The school plans to dedicate this year’s winter concert to Crawford, with the grand piano on stage draped in his favorite colorful scarf and the program featuring several of the pieces he loved most.
“Every time that piano is played from now on, it’ll be Larry,” one senior wrote. “He’s never really leaving us.”
A celebration of life open to the entire West Jessamine family will be held in the school auditorium next week. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to the school’s music program so future Colts can keep making the sounds Larry loved.
Larry Crawford is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and an extended family of thousands who will forever hear his laughter in every perfectly placed note.