Rev. T. Lawrence “Larry” Gilbert

WESTBROOK – Rev. T. Lawrence “Larry” Gilbert passed away after a brief illness on July 13, 2023.

Larry was born in Abingdon, Pa. on Jan. 26, 1932. He is the eldest of six children of T. Lawrence Gilbert, Sr. and Alice Layton Gilbert. Larry spent most of his childhood in the small village of Forest Grove, Pa. with the exception of four years in North Carolina.

Larry married his college sweetheart, Anne O’Hanlon, in June 1954, the day after graduating with a B.A. from Providence-Barrington Bible College. Larry completed his B.A. in Divinity at Gordon Divinity School in 1957. He later attended Andover Newton Theological School, completing his Master of Sacred Theology in 1966. Continuing his learning, he earned his Doctorate in Ministry in 1977 from Andover Newton.

Larry and Anne moved to southern Maine in 1957, when Larry became pastor of the Little Falls Baptist Church. After Larry became chaplain at the Maine Correctional Center, they moved to West Falmouth. Larry and Anne poured their energy into raising their family and working in their large vegetable gardens. In retirement, they moved to Westbrook, sharing a home with daughter Eunice and her husband George.

Larry shared his many gifts in life ministering to a wide variety of people in different situations. He was chaplain to inmates and staff for 25 years at the Correctional Center in Windham. Over the years he served as pastor at the South Windham Community Church, associate pastor at State Street Church in Portland and as minister of visitation at the Falmouth Congregational Church.

For several years Larry had a private practice in pastoral counseling. He served as executive director and a founding board member of the Southern Maine Pastoral Counseling Center, and he was a member of the Andover Newton Pastoral Counseling Training Consortium.

Larry served as a supervisor for the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education, which provides the equivalent of student teaching supervision for pastors. He served the northeast region and the national organization in various ways.

Larry will be remembered as the kind and gentle soul that he was, always offering to help and teach others. He was an avid gardener who tended to large vegetable gardens for many years and enjoyed sharing bountiful harvests. He used his woodworking skills to build specially designed items for family and friends that have become treasured possessions. His sense of humor was best represented by the message on a shirt given to him which said “7 days without a pun makes one weak.”

Larry was predeceased by Anne, his beloved wife of 68 years.

He is survived by son, Dana and wife Joanie and their children, Tommy, Bobby and wife Graicey Van Spankeren, and Ellen; daughter, Eunice and husband George Bentley and their son, Aristote Hekima; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A memorial service for Larry is planned for Sunday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m., State Street Church, Portland.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to

State Street Church,

P.O. Box 4037,

Portland, ME 04104

Rev. T. Lawrence “Larry” Gilbert