Lawrence “Larry” Andrew Ardito Sr., 82, of East Haven, passed away June 30 at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was born April 1, 1941, in New Haven, to Louis and Josephine (Dombrowski) Ardito. Larry is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Susan (Gold) Ardito, and his beloved and phenomenal sons: Tom Ardito (Kathy) of Naples, Florida, Rick Ardito of Madison, Larry Ardito Jr. (Dawn) of Madison, and David Ardito (Patty) of North Branford; along with eight grandchildren he dearly loved: Sam Ardito (Deepti), Joshua Ardito (Lauren), Hannah Ardito, Katlyn LoRicco (Anthony), Remi Tremblay (Sean), Nicholas Ardito (Megan Hitchcock), Taylor Ardito and Lily Ardito. Larry is also survived by eight great-grandchildren he adored: Annabelle LoRicco, Charlotte “Lottie” LoRicco, Nathaniel LoRicco, Finn Tremblay, Cole Tremblay, Luke Tremblay, Gabriella “Ella” Ardito, and Luciano “Niko” Ardito; and three nephews, Donald Ardito (Michelle), Steven Ardito (Josie), and William Ardito (Kelly). Larry is preceded in death by his parents; and brother Lewis Donald Ardito.

From New Haven’s Hill Section on Ann Street, Larry never stopped regaling his audience with stories of growing up in the city with his group of friends, many of whom remained good friends through the decades. Larry was a U.S. Army veteran. After discharge from the service, he and his first wife, Adrienne (Riccitelli) Ardito, raised their four sons in East Haven and Guilford. Larry was the ultimate salesman, selling high-end cars as a young man, then selling wine and spirits for about 30 years for Connecticut Distributors, after which he sold security systems and, later, heating and cooling systems to homeowners. He got a charge out of people and thoroughly enjoyed the personal interactions his career afforded him. After retiring, he worked for another 10 years at Goody’s Hardware in East Haven, primarily at the front register, where, again, he was happy in his social element.

Larry enjoyed both fresh and saltwater fishing as well as clamming, finding a peacefulness in the natural order of things that his wife Susan shared alongside him. He was an extremely knowledgeable cook who delighted friends and family with so many classic dishes from scratch. In his later years, Sue eagerly learned from Larry the steps that had eluded her, so they could continue to savor all the food they had come to enjoy. After meeting at a New Haven dance in 1994, Larry and Sue never spent a day without listening to some of their mutually favorite music full of big band hits and “standards” of the ’40s onward. Larry was also a talented woodworker, making pieces for his sons and for the home he and Sue shared. People are amazed when they learn that this or that piece was crafted by an “amateur,” as he would describe himself. An avid reader, Larry was a true source of knowledge on World War II, a vast subject that fascinated him to his last days. He was well-read on a variety of topics — a sharp, intelligent man with a marvelous sense of humor. He and Sue found something to smile or laugh about every day of their nearly 30-year relationship. Larry was an enthusiastic fan of the New York Yankees and UConn women’s basketball. Only rarely did he and Sue miss watching a game. Larry and Sue had many, many wonderful vacations in New Hampshire, Vermont, Florida, and Ocean City, Md. Most of their vacations were shared with his sons and their growing families. Vacations always included a lot of fishing, great food, fun with family, and just enjoying nature together. The vacation stories are Ardito legend.

Larry’s wife and family wish to express their deep gratitude for the extraordinary care provided to him throughout his course at the YNHH MICU by Drs. Geoff Chupp, Jon Koff, Shervin Takyar, Hannah Oakland, Gail Stanley, Sandy Zaeh, Akhil Khosla, Tatsiana Palvinskaya, Clemente Britto, Maddie Renzetti, William Jackson, Maor Sauler, Mridu Gulati, and Margaret Pisani.

Family received friends on July 5, followed by a short service in the Clancy-Palumbo Funeral Home (Clancy Funeral Home), 43 Kirkham Avenue, East Haven. Burial will be private.