Dr. Laurence "Larry" Liggett

Asheville – Dr. Laurence “Larry” Liggett, 80, died Friday, December 22, 2023 at Care Partners Solace hospice with his wife at his side. Also with him was the Reverend Joe Tarpley, senior minister at Skyland United Methodist Church.

Larry was born Laurence. Robert Liggett in Cleveland, Ohio, to Laurence Raymond Liggett and Olive Elizabeth Howell Liggett. His father was the church choir director and encouraged Larry in his love of music of all kinds. As a youth Larry played the French horn in the Cleveland Letter Carriers band and he ushered with his father at the stadium for the Cleveland Browns football team. He attended Euclid High School. The guidance counselor there told him “You can try college, but you really aren’t college material.”

In 1965 Larry was graduated with a B.S. degree from Baldwin-Wallace Methodist College (now Baldwin-Wallace University) in Berea, Ohio. At Baldwin-Wallace he was a resident counselor, senior class president, president of the campus religious council, and a member of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. He received the A. Fred Crossman Leadership Award. Baldwin-Wallace was where Larry met his future wife, Dixie Lee. They were married in 1966.

After two years of teaching biology at a middle school in Ohio, Larry was given a National Science Foundation grant to study for a master’s degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. After completing his master’s, he stayed on to earn a PhD in science education.

In 1971 Larry and Dixie moved to Asheville where Larry served as director of the Environmental Education Center, a three-year federal program to introduce environmental education to the public schools in Western North Carolina. They welcomed their first child, a daughter, and four years later, a son. At the end of the three- year program, Larry joined the Asheville City School system. He always said that his favorite job ever was serving as principal of Asheville High School for 18 years, 1979-1997. During his tenure he received several Principal of the Year awards, including Western Region Principal of the Year 1993-94 and the Friends of the Arts Award in 1996 by the N.C. Art Education Association. (Larry was a driving force in the creation of the arts and music building on campus.) He was president of the N.C. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in 1988.

Outside of school activities, Larry was a founding father of Caring for Children, the umbrella organization that provided emergency shelter and group homes for children in crisis. He served on the Advisory Board of the State Employees Credit Union. He made home deliveries for Meals on Wheels. The Asheville Civitan Club named him Citizen of the Year 2009-2010.

In 2004 the Baldwin-Wallace alumnae association named Larry the outstanding educator of the year.

Larry was an active member of Skyland United Methodist Church, serving as an officer in many areas, including chair of the administrative board. He enjoyed weekly Bible study with a group of men called The Geezers. For several years he sang in the church choir. (When one of the church members learned of his death, she said “There is a new bass in the angel choir.”) He was involved with United Methodist Men and very much supported Dixie’s involvement with United Methodist Women (Now named United Women in Faith) to the extent of leading UMW courses at the district and conference levels. In 1987 the Asheville district UMW presented him a Special Mission Recognition pin.

Dixie and Larry enjoyed traveling across the country, to South America, and many times to Europe until this past year when declining health made it necessary for Larry to be cared for at Givens Estates Health Center.

Larry is survived by his wife of more than 57 years, Dixie Lee, a daughter Christy Elizabeth Liggett (Matt Mikel) of Greensboro, NC, a son Caleb Daniel Liggett of Asheville, a brother Daniel Liggett (Debbi)of Thousand Oaks, California, and many nieces and nephews in Ohio and Georgia.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the fellowship hall of Skyland United Methodist Church at 2:00 PM Saturday, January 13, 2024. For anyone who wishes to honor Larry with a charitable contribution, please direct it to United Women in Faith Legacy Fund, Church Center for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza, 11th floor, New York, New York 10017 or online UWFaith.org/give.

Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.