PORTER- Lawrence "Larry" A. Knowlton Jr., of Porter, Maine, passed away at home on May 22, 2025, after a valiant battle with heart disease. He was born and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut, to Lawrence and Winifred Knowlton.
After graduating from Norwalk Community College, Larry moved to Wisconsin and earned his degree from the University of Wisconsin–Superior. During his time there, he forged lifelong friendships and even embarked on an epic road trip to Mexico, piling into a Ford Fairlane in search of adventure and memories for a lifetime. During his final semester, he met Laurel Brygger, whom he married in June of 1970 and celebrated just shy of 55 years of marriage at the time of his passing.
Together, Larry and Laurel served as VISTA volunteers in Indiana and were the roving houseparent and maintenance team for American Youth Hostels. They later became live-in houseparents at the Galloway Boys Ranch in Wahkon, Minnesota. Larry went on to work as a social worker for Wayne County, Wisconsin, and as a school social worker in Onamia, Minnesota.
In the fall of 1985, Larry, Laurel, and their two children moved to Maine, where he continued his career as a Special Education social worker with MSAD #6 until his retirement in 2011. A few years later, he began a new chapter in his career as an adjunct professor at the University of New England, teaching an online Master's in Social Work course to students from all over the world. He considered it one of the most meaningful experiences of his life and continued teaching until just recently stepping down due to declining health.
Larry had a creative mind and an enduring curiosity that extended far beyond his professional work. He was fascinated by renewable energy, skilled with both hand and power tools, and was always eager to find unconventional solutions to everyday challenges. He deeply treasured his family and took great pride in his children, to whom he passed on a love of nature and an appreciation for the simple wonders of the world around. He had a unique ability to connect to other people, maintaining friendships from his college years and also having single interactions that resulted in open invitations to visit those new friends if ever he passed their way again.
Encouraged by his love of the outdoors, Larry and his family spent countless summers hiking, camping, taking drives through the mountains, and even rafting Class V whitewater on one occasion. Winters brought snowy road trips from Maine to the upper Midwest, to ensure the family could spend the holidays together. June always marked when he would acquiesce to a simple celebration for his birthday—his favorite being a drive along the lupine-lined roads of the White Mountains, followed by homemade strawberry shortcake.
After retiring from the Maine school district, Larry and Laurel traveled in their vintage Scamp camper, with one of their most unforgettable adventures taking them through Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and up into Alaska. He found joy in playing folk music on his Yamaha guitar under the stars, keeping up with vlogs about remote and self-sustainable living, and relaxing with his constant canine companion, Bentley.
Larry was predeceased by his parents, Lawrence and Winifred; his brother Warren; sisters Mary and Betsy; brothers-in-law Milton, Ed, and Neal; and an infant son. He is survived by his wife, Laurel; son Kristopher Knowlton and granddaughter Elsa; daughter Sarah Kralemann and her husband Nathan; sisters Winifred Stroup, Kathleen Knowlton, and Karen DuPona; sister-in-law Diane Knowlton; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
To quote the weekly sign-off from Larry’s favorite YouTube channel:
“Be kind, be honest, and I’ll see you down the road.”
Online condolence messages can be submitted at the Poitras, Neal & York Funeral Home website, www.mainefuneral.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Poitras, Neal & York Funeral Home, Cornish, www.mainefuneral.com