Obituary: Laurence R. “Larry” Pearson

Laurence R. (Larry) Pearson passed away peacefully on October 7 at his home in Santa
Barbara. He leaves behind his wife and the love of his life, Carol Doré Hawkins, who was at his
bedside when he passed.

Larry was born in Chicago on November 23, 1938 to Herman and Mary Pearson. Always a precocious child, Larry graduated from South Shore High School and the University of Illinois, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in History. He later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. Everyone who met him left impressed by his intelligence and his curiosity.

While at university, he met his first wife, Roberta (Bobbi) Natker. Together they had three children, Scott, Todd and Jill. In 1970, the five of them drove 8,000 miles exploring the country in a Volvo 144 sedan. They discovered Santa Barbara and moved there in 1972. Larry gave up a career in business to become a writer, allowing him to work from home, cultivate a huge garden that provided much of the family’s sustenance, and be a full partner in raising his children.

For most of his life he supported his family by writing annual reports and prospectuses. Among his proudest achievements was writing the successful proposal for the Qatar World Cup. Throughout his career he also established long working relationships with companies such as Hilton Hotels, Univision and Neutrogena. He most enjoyed writing opportunities which allowed him to demonstrate his creative flair and talent, and was published by Time, Playboy Magazine, The LA Times, and California Homes.

Larry and Bobbi divorced in 1979 and shortly afterward Larry began a new and beautiful life with Carol Hawkins, a sixth-generation Santa Barbaran. Their love for each other was passionate and endured for 47 years. They founded Pearson & Hawkins, importer of fine French wines and champagnes. Later, they traveled the world, penning travel articles that captured their adventures. They were surrounded by many friends, never more than after moving to Valle Verde in 2019.

Larry loved to hike the Cold Springs Trail, to garden, to cycle outdoors, to attend spin classes at the Montecito YMCA -even on his 80th birthday- and to experience the finer things in life. He loved classical music, reading books and always had an enormous stack of New Yorkers by his favorite reading chair.

He was an outstanding father and grandfather, using his gift for humor to elicit belly laughs from his children and grandchildren. As befits his profession, he was a marvelous storyteller and is remembered fondly by many for his elaborate ghost stories, which he shared with the children of family friends. Larry made it his priority to raise his children well, grounding them with strong values and good educations. He poured enormous love into them, allowing them to venture into the world as confident adults.

Larry was a seeker of new experiences and ways to live more fully. He frequently rejected the traditional path, seeking a life with more meaning, more beauty, more adventure, and greater fulfillment. Born to an immigrant Jewish family, he began in his 20’s to explore transcendental meditation, hatha yoga, and the teachings of Edgar Cayce. For many years he was under the tutelage of his beloved spiritual teacher, Helene Vreeland. Larry often summarized his spiritual journey as one centered on love and the mysterious interconnection of free will and fate.

Larry leaves behind his wife, Carol, his three children, Scott, Todd, and Jill, his two stepsons Marc and Jon Hawkins, his daughters-in-law Adi Pearson and Diana Farrell, his sister Francis Scholl and his five grandchildren, Sonia, Grace, Jasper, Matthew, and C.J.

Memorial services will be held at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at 10:15am on October 22 2026.

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