Lawrence Dostie

Lawrence Joseph “Larry” Dostie, age 74, passed away peacefully at home in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, on December 23, 2025.

Larry is survived by his beloved wife, Sue Dostie; his son, Berek Dostie, and daughter-in-law, Ashley Dostie; his daughter, Rachelle Dostie; his daughter-in-law, Carrie Dostie; and his five grandchildren, whom he dearly loved. He is also survived by his mother, Annette Dostie; his brother, Patrick Dostie, and sister-in-law, Lynda Dostie; his brother-in-law, Michael Shirley; and his sister-in-law, Pat Shirley. He was predeceased by his father, Raymond Dostie; his son, Tysun Dostie; and his grandson, Watson Dostie.

Larry was born in Augusta, Maine, and met his wife, Sue, while attending the University of Maine in Orono, before beginning his career as a chef at the Biltmore in Santa Barbara, California. Later, he returned to college to earn a degree in Computer Science and spent 20 years working at UNUM in Portland, Maine, as a programmer and systems analyst.

Sue and Larry rarely disagreed on anything—except football. Larry loved the Dallas Cowboys, while Sue was a devoted New England Patriots fan.

Larry retired in 2011 and shortly thereafter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and later Lewy Body Dementia. He did not allow these challenges to limit his love of life or adventure, continuing to travel, stay active, and embrace new experiences whenever possible.

Larry loved playing card games, especially cribbage, and found happiness in hiking, travel, and dancing. Together, Larry and Sue traveled to 40 states and enjoyed hiking and exploring many National Parks. His favorite hike was the 20-mile trek to the peak of Half Dome in Yosemite, which he completed with Sue, their one-year-old son Tysun, and his brother-in-law, Mike Shirley. Larry and Sue took disco dance classes in the 1970s and later resumed their love of dancing in the 2000s through several ballroom dance classes.

In 2017, Larry and Sue traveled to Italy, where Larry fulfilled a lifelong wish to visit the Vatican.

A devoted family man, Larry found true happiness in time spent with his grandchildren and was known for his great sense of humor. He enjoyed staying active throughout his life and had a lifelong love of sports, including tennis, racquetball, roller skating, rollerblading, and ping pong. After moving to North Carolina in 2015, he discovered pickleball, which quickly became a passion and remained so until 2022, when balance issues prevented him from continuing to play.

A private remembrance will be held by the family.