Larry Thomas died on the morning of June 12. He was 70.
Thomas’ long career spanned storytelling’s trifecta: journalism, politics and corporate communications. And his influence stretched from Newport Center Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue.
“I’m a little bit blown away by the people that reach out to take the time to leave a comment, send a condolence remind you of how many people you have on your team,” daughter Leigh Thomas Beach said.
“It’s overwhelming. Dad had so many fans.”
Thomas’ longest-tenured boss was among the legion.
“We will miss Larry and his precision in words and life,” said Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren in a statement.
“I had the privilege of calling him a colleague and friend for more than three decades. Larry’s outstanding talents and wonderful sense of humor left an indelible mark. He will be greatly missed.”
Dan Young, former president of community development for Irvine Co., met Thomas at Irvine Co. headquarters in 2000.
“His story telling was spectacular. He was the only person who could get it right for Mr. Bren. Mr. Bren had enormous respect for him.”
Thomas went to former Gov. George Deukmejian’s funeral in Long Beach on June 9, days before Thomas died.
He’d been “Iron Duke’s” chief spokesman, ran his 1986 campaign for governor.
“He was hugely frustrated being unable to talk to anyone,” Beach said.
Thomas died of throat cancer, the illness recurring almost 10 years after his retirement from Irvine Co. in 2007.
“Gloria (Deukmejian’s wife) joked that George will probably put him to work in heaven making press calls.”
The Journey
Thomas was born in Mexico City in 1947, his father a PR man for RCA Records and later the editor of one of the forerunners to the San Diego Union Tribune. The wonders of genetics didn’t end there.
“Conservatism? Had to have been my grandfather,” Leigh said.
The right-tilted Thomases made their way to San Diego in the early 1950s, and Larry attended San Diego State University to major in journalism. The Society of Professional Journalists named him one of the top five promising journalists, and he became a very young—in those days—correspondent for both United Press International and the Union-Tribune.
Then San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson’s chief of staff, Bob White, spun Thomas into a job at City Hall.
He was still telling stories, only as an advocate, and ultimately in Washington D.C., as press secretary for Vice President George H.W. Bush, who wanted Thomas for his presidential run.
“He came back because he didn’t like being so far away from me,” his daughter said.
Back to run all communications for the county’s largest landowner and developer—20 years before his retirement in the summer of 2007 (see OC Insider, page 3).
“He was a master communicator,” Young said. “He mastered his art—his product was art, it just happened to be in the form of words. He’d take a storyline, entertain with facts, humanize it, like no one else could. You put down his writing, and you enjoyed the sensory experience.” And like many colleagues, Young admired the manner in which Thomas practiced his art.
“He taught me you could get your point across and still leave the other side standing. His writing and personal charm had the effect of drawing all people in. He was funny.”
Political colleague Dan Schnur also learned the lesson, writing in the California business/politics blog Fox&Hounds, “Larry showed us that you fight to win, but that you play by the rules, and that after the contest is over, both the winners and losers have a stake in the work that still lies ahead.”
The Sabbatical
Thomas was a searcher.
“His curiosity was unbelievable,” Young said. “He read, and he read, and he read.” And he searched, which led to his improbable “sabbatical” from Irvine Co. in early 2000.
“‘What does a sabbatical look like at the Irvine Co., Larry?’” Young recalls the chairman asking Thomas.
“He says, ‘Don’t worry, I’m coming back.’ And Donald says, ‘I’d love to have one of those Larry.’”
Young said the exchange is legend on the top floor of Irvine Co.
After many months in Rio, Thomas’ sabbatical wended to Northern California to meet up with former Irvine Co. colleague Franz Wisner, author of the best-seller “Honeymoon with My Brother.” Wisner’s bride had called off their wedding two days before the nuptials, but he famously went ahead with “the brideless wedding.” Thomas was the first guest at the Gualala Hotel.
“Wizard, lemme buy you a beer.”
Wisner held up his full Budweiser.
“Better yet, you buy me one.”
True to his word, Thomas returned to Irvine Co. Just weeks after his 2007 retirement, he got his first cancer diagnosis.
Surviving that leg, he’d been so close to making it to 10 years with no remission, at which point the chances his cancer would return would be greatly diminished, his daughter said.
“I’m so grateful for the extra 10 years.”
Thomas is survived by Leigh Beach, her husband, Eric, and their three children, Sawyer, Saxon and Rylan.
