According to his nephew, Grant Kirsch of Lititz, Larry Whyte, a 6-foot-5-inch African-American resident of Kirkwood who died in November of 2021, lived larger than life, crossing lines without concern for barriers - racial or otherwise. "He was a big man with a big personality," said Kirsch.
During his life, Larry was a truck driver, gas station owner, licensed real estate agent, auctioneer, and owner of multiple businesses, including a line of advertising specialties, all clustered under the name Whyte Enterprises.
Larry first began auctioneering in the early 1980s, apprenticing for two years before starting his own auction company. In 1986, he volunteered his auctioneering services for Hospice & Community Care's annual Labor Day Auction, and he was involved in starting the Southern End Community Association (SECA) and with auctions to help fund Solid Rock Youth Ministries and other local organizations. He also donated his auctioneering talents to the Bart, Rawlinsville, and Robert Fulton mud sales.
Along the way, Larry collected a variety of items, including Eldreth pottery, Depression glass, enamel vases, banks, and Victorian furniture. He owned one of the most extensive collections of Black Americana in the country, including a baseball mitt autographed by about a dozen Negro League Baseball players.
Larry wed Kirsch's mother's sister, Barbara, in 1976, and they were married 45 years before he died. Larry and Barbara knew each other as children growing up in Oxford. "(Larry) was racing 1957 Chevys across the milelong Octorara Lake bridge (when they met as adults)," said Kirsch.
Kirsch grew up taking part in auctions his uncle held. "We were very family centric, so I just started helping him," recalled Kirsch, who went into the antiques business with Larry in 2011, first setting up a shop just north of Lititz borough and later opening Kirsch Antiques on Broad Street in Lititz.
Around 2009, Larry was involved in a motorcycle accident and sustained a severe head trauma. Kirsch reported that the head injury did not change Larry's even-keeled personality or his strong will, but it did make it impossible to continue auctioneering, which upset his uncle. In the fall of 2021, Larry was diagnosed with cancer shortly before he died. His memorial service was held on Jan. 15 at Union Presbyterian Church in Kirkwood.
Kirsch is in the process of auctioning Larry's collections through Timeless Treasure Auctions, located at 20 Copperfield Circle, Lititz. The next auction will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29, beginning at 9 a.m. Bids may also be made at http://www.hibid.com. More information about Larry's collections may be found at http://www.timelesstreasureauctions.net.
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