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Captain Larry: Fifty Couples Married

In fall of 2000, Candy Bohmert says she wanted Larry to perform the service at her wedding. Thing was, under North Carolina law, being a boat captain alone doesn’t allow one to officiate at a wedding. But as Candy learned, the law did allow an ordained minister to appoint someone so that they could carry out the service. Candy says her husband Greg had fixed the boat of a minister who was happy to help.

Greg and Candy Bohmert’s wedding on October 10, 2000, was the first one Larry performed. A week later Larry was at it again, officiating at the nuptials of Turtle and Robin Midyette. Candy says Larry recently told her that he’d conducted at least 50 weddings in the past decade.

In June 2003, Larry officiated at the wedding of Tim Rogers and Janet Alexander at the Stallings House.

One of those weddings — in 2002 — was for the minister who gave Larry his marrying papers. It was a special wedding for the Reverend Jim Newby, as he was remarrying his wife, Elizabeth from whom he’d been divorced for 6 years. Jim Newby says they married on the dock of their house on Smith Creek. A minister in Oklahoma City, he says news of Larry’s death “has been like a fist in my stomach, and I am not ashamed to say that I have shed many tears.”

This fall’s wedding of Ben Chapin and Amy Tingle was one of the last ones — if not the last one — for Captain Larry Walker. (Photo: Wilma Kennedy)

Larry officiated onboard “Oriental Express” at the wedding of Greg & Candy Bohmert. At right Larry with the bride after the ceremony. (Photo from collection of Greg and Candy Bohmert.)

Larry’s involvement in the town ran beyond the weddings, and Santa visits and the captain’s school. A few years ago, he organized a boat show in Oriental’s harbor, towing in some portable docks that he owned. That show was the precursor to the one now held in Pecan Grove Marina.

Larry was also in demand as an emcee at a number of events. One standing gig was at M&M Restaurant’s weekly Music Night, a guess-the-artist name-that-tune event. Roger Cordes recalled that Larry “was a huge fan of old 50’s and 60’s music. Of love songs.” When someone played some 70’s rock, “he would say, ‘That’s too new.’” Given the opportunity to sing himself, Paul Del Rio suggests Larry could out-Elvis Elvis.

At this writing, no funeral arrangements have been made public.

Paul Fairbank, who puts together the Spirit of Christmas parade on December 11 says that Santa will be part of the parade, despite Larry Walker’s passing. Charlie Garrett had a Santa suit for another appearance and offered to fill in for Larry.

Meanwhile, Candy Bohmert, in her capacity as a Spirit of Christmas organizer, says that the parade may pay tribute to Larry in some manner, perhaps getting his car to pull his boat – empty – down the parade route.

Larry Walker at the 2009 Tarpon Tournament with two of the volunteer observers. As his friend and colleague Paul Del Rio put it, “How fragile life is.”

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Posted Friday December 3, 2010 by Melinda Penkava