William L. “Larry” Ventis, 76, of Williamsburg, passed away Saturday, April 11, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19.
Born Oct. 25, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Reuben Clyde Ventis and Vernie Mae Ventis, Larry was beloved father to Summer Ventis and friend to many.
Larry received his B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and was professor emeritus of psychology at William & Mary, where he taught from 1969 until his retirement in 2016. He was a longtime member of the International Society for Humor Studies, which he served as president from 2014 to 2015.
Larry was an active member of the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, where he sang in the choir for over 25 years. Music was one of the great joys of his life, along with tennis, skiing, travel and humor. He will be remembered for his many professional accomplishments, his mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students, his service to both the college and community, and most of all, for his kind, compassionate spirit and his sense of humor.
A memorial service will be held virtually by WUU at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 3, and may be accessed through the WUU event calendar at https://wuu.org/event-calendar/. Per Larry’s wishes, his ashes will be spread in the Great Smoky Mountains at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the WUU Endowment Fund, Botetourt Chamber Singers International Tour Fund or charity of your choice.
Share online condolences with the family at Bucktrout of Williamsburg Funeral Service.
