Larry Lusitana

Larry Lusitana Obituary

LAWRENCE JOHN LUSITANA June 23, 1932 - December 24, 2010

A 23-year veteran of the San Diego Evening Tribune, Copley Ring of Truth Award winner, and devoted newspaper man; loving husband to wife Sherrill, father to John Russell and Dolores Rose, and brother to Russell. Buried with his family at the George Washington Memorial Park Cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey on January 8, 2011.

Lawrence John Lusitana was born in Hackensack, N.J. on June 23, 1932 to John S. and Marie F. Lusitana. The youngest of 3 and the 2nd son, Larry spent his childhood in Richfield Park, N.J. as the kid brother to Russell, 6 years older. After the death of his 18 year old sister Dolores, the family moved, in 1949, to the San Diego area where Larry completed high school at Grossmont High, near El Cajon. Larry joined the Air Force in 1951 and was subsequently stationed at the strategic U.S. air base on the island of Teciera in the Azores island group where he was an air base radio station announcer, achieving the rank of master sergeant. He was Married to Anne M. DeVita in 1953 and a son, John Russell, was born in 1954; a daughter, Dolores Rose, in 1960. Soon after his return to San Diego in 1955 in Larry took a job as a copy boy at The Evening Tribune news paper. His 23 year career there included reporter, slot man, and news editor, culminating in his position as Assistant Managing Editor. During his time with the Tribune, he received several Copley Ring of Truth Awards for excellence in journalism. With colleagues from the paper, Larry formed Joyce Press Publishing, releasing titles by John Sinor and others, some of which were accepted into the Library of Congress.