Sandy and Larry Weston during his Army days. (Courtesy photo)
To say that we all owe the late Larry Weston a debt of gratitude would be the epitome of an understatement.
Weston, a former Tamarac Kings Point resident and originally a Brooklyn native, passed away on Aug. 21, just three months shy of his 101 birthday.
Weston wore many well-fitting hats in his century-plus years on this earth. He was not only a successful businessman in the insurance field but also an entertainer, a loving, devoted husband for 79 years to his beloved late wife, Sandy, and a decorated WWII veteran who served in the European theater.
According to his son, Lyle Weston, 72, a Sunrise Lakes resident, his parents moved to Kings Point when it first opened. Larry and Sandy enjoyed an incredibly active social life at Kings Point.
“They loved it there,” Lyle said.
Lyle said his parents redefined the meaning of childhood sweethearts, having met when he was just 16 and she was only 15. Sandy would pass away in 2023 at 98.
“My mom watched over him and kept him pretty healthy,” Lyle said.
Rewind the calendar to the early 1940s and the onset of WW II. Weston enlisted to the Army, hoping to enter the Air Corps. He was sent to Europe as an infantryman instead and drove a jeep. Then, while driving a lieutenant through France, he came upon an abandoned French farmhouse. Getting closer to investigate, he came upon 13 German soldiers sheltering there. Weston snuck up on the unsuspecting German troops, drew his rifle, and had himself 13 prisoners of war.
Weston marched them back to Allied headquarters, earning himself a bronze star. Plus, he found a unique, historic souvenir. One of the soldiers he captured had a “Brown Shirt Dagger” he had received directly from Hitler, and Weston claimed the spoils for himself.
When he was not busy rounding up and capturing Nazi soldiers, another facet of Weston’s persona came to the forefront while he was in the service: Entertainment. One of Weston’s Army buddies just happened to be Sydney Chaplin, son of iconic silent-screen legend Charlie Chaplin.
“They served in the same company,” Lyle Weston said.
Weston and the younger Chaplin took the stage together for their fellow soldiers.
“Syd sang and danced, and my dad was the comedian,” Lyle said.
Even after the war, Larry continued to put on shows while living in Michigan. “They remained friends, and Sydney would come by and take the stage with him,” said Lyle.
Later in life, Weston would always serve as emcee for many community functions.
Lyle said that his parents traveled extensively around the nation after they retired, and his dad was a huge history buff who loved visiting historical sights.
Lyle, Sandy and Larry Weston (Courtesy photo)
“My dad said, ‘he should’ve been a teacher if they made more money.’ “
As Larry and Sandy Weston got on in years, they could no longer go on the months-long road trips. They found a new love: cruising.
A somewhat life-changing event took place on one of the cruise ships. His parents were seated at the dinner table with a couple from Germany.
“My dad didn’t have a great impression of the German people because of the war,” Lyle said. However, by sheer irony, the German gentleman also served in the war, albeit on opposite sides. “They were in the same battle,” Lyle Weston said, “but on different sides.”
The two former enemy combatants not only hit it off but remained lifelong friends afterward.
“It changed my dad’s opinion of how he looked at people from that day on. It really freed him,” Lyle said.
Boca Raton resident Ryan Paton, co-founder of Honor Flight, South Florida, first met Weston at a Greek gyro restaurant.
“We went up to him and thanked him for his service,” Paton said. They exchanged phone numbers and became the dearest of friends. “That was in 2009,” said Paton, “and he became a second father to me.
“He was a good husband. He could write a book about his military service,” said Paton.
Harry Heisler, a Vietnam veteran and Parkland resident, met Weston through Honor Flight of South Florida. He said they both traveled on the same flight to D.C. Later on, he met Weston again at his favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-A, where he and Sandy ate.
“That’s how I met him and got involved with his life,” Heisler said. “Being a Vietnam vet myself, we had a bond.”
Heisler talks about the love between Larry and Sandy. “They always had love and affection for each other,” he said. “They respected each other. I’ve been to their anniversaries. When she died, it affected him greatly.”
Larry Weston was laid to rest at Star of David Memorial Gardens Cemetery in North Lauderdale following a graveside ceremony with military honors.
In addition to Lyle, he is survived by another son, Stuart Weston, who lives in Ormond Beach, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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