Leonard P. Larrabee Jr.

FALMOUTH – Leonard P. Larrabee, Jr. of Falmouth, passed away on July 22, 2023. Len was born May 9, 1930 in New Rochelle, N.Y., the son of Leonard P. and Simone (Delamarre) Larrabee. A resident of New Rochelle, N.Y. until retirement, he attended schools there and went on to graduate from Dartmouth College in 1952 and its Tuck School of Business in 1953. Prior to graduation from Tuck, he received a direct commission into the U.S. Army Finance Corps and later served almost three years as a lieutenant in the Finance Corps.

While in the service, Len married the former Judith Tracy whom he had met and begun dating while she was at Mount Holyoke College and he was at Tuck School.

Following his discharge from the service, Len and Judy settled in New Rochelle, N.Y. where they raised their six children. Len worked for The Hanover Bank in New York City, N.Y. and attended Fordham Law School’s evening division on the GI Bill, graduating in 1960.

After graduation from law school, Len joined the New York City law firm of Dewey, Ballantine, Bushby, Palmer and Wood as an associate lawyer and retired in 1995 as a senior partner in the firm. His principal areas of practice were corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. He was involved in a number of the major merger and acquisition transactions in the 1980s and early 1990s. Among these were the successful implementation of the so called “Pac-Man” defense (making a hostile bid for the aggressor in response to the aggressor’s hostile bid) of client Martin Marietta Corporation, thereby thwarting a hostile tender offer by the Bendix Corporation, and Martin Marietta’s subsequent friendly acquisition of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation forming defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corporation. For almost 30 years, he headed his firm’s work as U.S. counsel for the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.

With rare exceptions, vacation time from early childhood on was spent on Bustins Island where Len’s family has had a presence for well over 100 years.

Following retirement, Judy and Len divided their time principally between their homes at Seabrook Island, S.C. and Falmouth. While in Maine, they spent much of the summer at their cottage on Bustins Island. They enjoyed boating on Casco Bay and family picnics on many of its islands. Len served on boards and committees of the Bustins Island Village Corporation for over 30 years, including almost six years as chairman of its Board of Overseers.

Len was a devoted family man. He particularly enjoyed coaching Little League baseball and, whenever possible, attending the sporting events of his children and grandchildren. In younger days, he was an avid tennis player, but in retirement switched his principal sporting interest to golf. In 2010, Judy and Len moved to OceanView at Falmouth. For close to three years prior to Judy’s death in 2014, with outside assistance and help from their children, Len served as a dedicated caregiver for his beloved wife so she could remain in the comfort of their home.

Subsequent to Judy’s death, Len began as a volunteer at the Falmouth Food Pantry and, with several interruptions for medical reasons, continued until early 2020.

With the termination of his caregiver duties, Len resumed spending a large part of the summer months with family on Bustins Island. At OceanView, Len enjoyed participating in a weekly bridge group.

Len had a great sense of humor and was a natural storyteller. He also had a kind and generous spirit and touched the lives of many people. He enjoyed a long life at the helm of his family, was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.

Len was predeceased by his parents, his wife of over 59 years; and their daughter, Nancy; as well as his sister, Jeanne Pierce of State College, Pa., and his sister, Simone, who died in infancy.

He is survived by daughters Judith Hayes and husband William of Yarmouth, Elizabeth Larrabee and husband John Riley of Walnut Creek, Calif., Jacqueline Bohan and husband Thomas of Yonkers, N.Y., and sons Leonard III and wife Susan of Bedford, N.Y., and David and wife Kathleen of White Stone, Va.; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

There will be no public visiting hours. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Martyrs Church, 266 Foreside Rd. in Falmouth at 10 a.m. on July 28. Len will be buried next to his wife and daughter at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth.

Arrangements are under the care of Lindquist Funeral Home in

Yarmouth.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the

Falmouth Food Pantry,

271 Falmouth Rd.,

Falmouth, ME 04105