Lawrence Wacks, 72

CRANSTON, R.I. – Lawrence “Larry” D. Wacks passed away Jan. 1 at home. He was the beloved husband of Joyce (Grueneberg) Wacks for 36 years. Born in Bronx, New York, a son of the late Moe and Rosalyn (Kaplan) Wacks, he was a longtime resident of Rhode Island, most recently residing in Cranston.

Larry attended the University of Hartford. He was a salesman for the former CJ Fox in Providence, retiring in 2018. Larry was a member of Temple Emanu-El and enjoyed bowling, volunteering as a basketball coach for various junior high school and high school and leagues. He was also a fan of watching and discussing all things football and basketball. 

He was the devoted father of Jill Weintraub (Benjamin) of Brookline, Massachusetts, and Marlene Schlesinger (Joseph) of Needham, Massachusetts. Larry had three grandchildren, Nathan Weintraub and Evan and Sophie Schlesinger, who brought a big smile to his face and brought joy to his life. He was the dear brother of Helene Rodway.  He was the cherished uncle of Michael and Marc Rodway and Daniel Seltzer. 

Contributions in his memory may be made to American Parkinson Disease Association, P.O. Box 41659, Providence, RI 02940 or Temple Emanu-El, 99 Taft Ave., Providence, RI 02906.