He was a man simply known as “Mr. Santa Barbara.”
For more than a half century, Larry Crandell was the person to call to emcee charity events, raising hundreds of millions over the years for local non-profit groups.
Crandell died this week, at the age of 93. A World War II veteran, Crandell was a businessman who was involved in seemingly every charity project in the community.
He knew how to put together groups of community leaders, and put the squeeze on them to help out with worthwhile causes. And, he was especially known for his sense of humor, with a joke, not necessarily a good one, ready for you. He had been living at a retirement home at the time of his death.
Even with a reduced schedule, he remained a fixture at many non-profit events in the Santa Barbara area into his 90’s.