Students at Estill Springs made signs and drawings to hang on the door of Larry Barnes’s janitor closet. Barnes was a janitor at the school for more than 10 years.
Students and faculty at Estill Springs Elementary said the halls of the school and the hearts of those who work and learn there just won’t be the same anymore as they mourn the loss of a friend, a co-worker and family member.
Larry Barnes, 66, a custodian at the school, passed away Monday leaving his school community shocked and saddened.
His friends and the students he came to love at the school said they aren’t sure there is anything that can fill the void left by the loss of the man they remember as being kind-hearted, generous, friendly and unexplainably “growly.”
A small group of students and teachers gathered in the library of the school Tuesday morning to share memories of Barnes and to play tribute to someone who made the school environment that much more special for all those who learn and work there.
Michell Powell Embry, a parent of two Estill Springs students, said she and her children were sad learn of Barnes’ passing. She recalled stories her son, G.T., told about playing in the hall with his favorite custodian.
“My son was as big as him,” she said. “He would let G.T. push him down the hallway as if they were both playing linemen in a football game.”
Those students who gathered earlier this week shared similar stories of playing with Barnes in the halls of the school.
Seven-year-old Alli McCreary is a second grade student who said she will never forget how nice Larry was.
“He was always fun to play with,” she said. “He let me clean the windows in my teacher’s room once and he even let me use the key that switches the light off at the end of art class one day.”
She likened Larry to clown that joked with all the kids.
Mariah Riddell, 9, a third grade student, said she also remembers all the funny things Larry did.
“He would alway joke around with me,” she said. “When I was walking down the hallway he would take his broom and pretend to sweep me up.”
She said she thought of him as more of a “really close friend,” than a custodian at her school.
Fifth grader Carl Warner said he remembered almost being “swept up” by Larry in the halls and the way he explained his relationship with the custodian was similar to the sentiments shared by the other kids.
“To me wasn’t just a janitor or a friend,” Warner said. “He was family.”
Estill Springs Elementary Principal Lorretta Cruse agreed with Warner’s statement.
She said she remembers one of the last interactions she had with him was playing jabbing him during the school day.
As the principal who worked with Larry for many of the more than 10 years of service he gave to school, Cruse said she came to know him very well, as did many of the teachers and other staff members.
As the students shared their stories and the teachers did their best to fight back tears, it was evident Larry made a huge difference in the lives of the children he worked around.
Cruse spoke to his kind character and caring personality.
“As you can tell, he made a significant impact,” she said. “One thing is for sure: he loved the kids. He loved all of them and he didn’t make any difference in them.”
Embry said her children’s relationship with Larry made it clear he was caring.
“He didn’t need a college degree to teach the kindness and laughter he showed to all the teachers, kids and parents.”
As the students continued their tales about Larry the ideas of kindness, caring and generosity came up consistently.
Garrett Hall, a third grade student, told those in the library of the times he and his friend stayed after school waiting for their moms, who are teachers.
“Larry would play with us,” Hall said. “He would take the ball, shoot it one time and then go back to work.”
Hall said he liked that he took the time to play with him and the other kids while he was on the job.
The impact Larry had on Hall was strong enough that teachers say Hall made it a point to lead his classmates in a voluntary prayer Monday after they learned of their friend’s passing.
Hall said Estill Springs has three of the best janitors and that Larry stood out among them. He also said it was hard to pick out just one thing to use to describe the man he called one of his best friends.
Mullins chimed back into the conversation and reminded everyone of how she knew Larry was near.
“He carried all this change in his pocket,” she said. “And you could hear him coming with his ‘ching, ching, ching’ and he’d be whistling and you never knew what he was whistling but you just knew he was near.”
With laughter the teacher recalled calling him “The Bank of Larry” each time they needed change for lunch or a drink. They even told stories of Larry offering change to students who stayed after school so they could buy a soda from the vending machine.
Each story, each memory and each tearful explanation of the late Larry Barnes reminded those in the room of something else he had done that was kind-hearted and selfless.
His school friends recalled his deep, raspy growl of a voice and the “sneak attacks” he played on the students. The teachers remembered being able to call on him for anything from grabbing them lunch, to carrying boxes in from their cars or helping out with something in their classroom.
Interventionist and 504 Coordinator Stephanie Arthur said she built a special bond with Larry over the years and was proud to say she was one of the ones that would call for him when she was in need.
Third and fourth grade teacher Elizabeth Renner shed tears as she shared with the group stories of being playful with the man.
“I used to go home every night with a different story about Larry,” she said. “My husband would ask if I had another man.”
From stories of him blaring country music as he cleaned the school in the summer, to tales of teachers snatching pencils from his collection in his janitor’s closet, the faculty and students at the school had nothing but nice things to say about Larry.
The students have even been writing letters and drawing pictures to tape up on the Larry’s closet in the school.
Counselors have been made available for the students and grief counselors will be at the school following the Christmas holiday.
Visitation for Larry has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13 (today) at Lewis Funeral Home. At press time, no arrangements for a funeral had been made.
A complete obituary can be found in the next issue of the Citizen Voice & Times.