Saturday, December 15, 2012

Ball Found Ater 9/11




 This is an interesting item.  It is a baseball featuring the Twin Towers, Statue of Liberty, American flag with United We Stand, and I Heart (Love) NY.  The ball is in a presentation case and has a label that states:
Baseball found in the debris of the attach on the Twin Towers of 9-11-2001  Presented to Laurence LaFrate with gratitude from The American Folk Art Museum"

In looking for info on Laurence LaFrate, I found the following from June 29, 2008:
Laurence P. LaFrate, 60, of Baldwinsville, died Sunday at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Syracuse following a sudden illness. A native of Fulton, he had resided in Baldwinsville for 31 years. Larry was a 1969 graduate of S.U.N.Y. at New Paltz. He was an administrator at the Liverpool Central School District for 25 years. Larry owned and operated American Sampler Antiques and was known to thousands of people as “Echodale” on ebay where he has been a power seller. He was a consultant to the American Museum of Folk Art in New York City and was preparing to write a book about early American lighting.
Larry was predeceased by his father, Ray LaFrate and brother, Peter LaFrate. Surviving are his beloved companion, Irene Oman of Liverpool; his mother, Frances LaFrate of Fulton; son, Christian LaFrate of St. Petersburg, FL; daughter, Kathleen (John) Verdoliva of Oswego; brother, Greg (Christine) LaFrate of Fulton; three grandchildren, Meghan Foster, Sabrina and Kenneth Verdoliva; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday at Foster Funeral Home, Fulton with burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Fulton. Calling hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, 910 Fay Street, Fulton. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Laurence P. LaFrate Memorial Education Fund to be awarded to students each year who excel in academics and the arts, presented by his grandchildren, in “Papa Larry’s honor”, to recipients in the Fulton School District. Donations should be made payable to: Laurence P. LaFrate Memorial Fund, c/o Irene Oman, 8393-B Shallowcreek Road, Liverpool, New York, 13090.

I plan to contact the American Folk Art Museum at some point.
http://www.folkartmuseum.org/

 
 
 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Larry was my uncle, He did a lot of consulting for museums on early American antiques and primitive lighting. I know that he helped out with some fundraisers after 9-11 so I am not sure if the ball was related to fundraising or consulting work. I imagine the ball was sold at auction with his collection after his death. It’s a cool piece, if you ever want to sell it let me know I would be interested.

Gregory LaFrate- GLL81@aol.com