LEWISTON – Avid golfer Sylvio Larock tapped in his final putt on May 21, completing a very full and successful round in life. Not every shot was straight, and some of the holes were down right adventuresome, but Sylvio scored better than most. He teed off in Lewiston on August 19, 1921. His biggest fans, parents Stanley and Emma (Marcoux) Larock were in the gallery. So were his brothers Lionel and Roland. The first couple of holes were routine. His first birdie came on the third when Sylvio helped the 1938 and 1939 Lewiston High School baseball teams to 2 championships. From there, his round took him to the Pacific as a proud member of the U.S. military during World War II.

His shot-of-a-lifetime came on June 9, 1945 when he married Fern Perreault. It was the kind of shot that led to a string of birdies with the birth of their daughters Marianne, Sylvia, Barbara and Deborah. With Fern as his invaluable caddy, the couple made the turn well ahead of the rest of the field. Together, they blasted out of sand traps and hacked their way out of the thick rough of life. There were a couple of bogies along the way but they always kept their eye on the ball. Illness made the last couple of holes of Sylvio’s life a struggle, but the crowd grew as it sensed a winning round. The gallery now included sons-in-law, Jim Johnston of Lisbon, Dick Beauparlant of Sabattus, Norm Beauparlant of Poland and Eric Boulanger of Edgewood, Ky.

As Sylvio labored up the 18th, nine grandchildren, James Johnston and wife, Pam of Marlborough, Mass., Janice Huston and husband, Terry of Lisbon Falls, Doug Beauparlant and wife, Renee of Wales, Lori Lachance of Lisbon, Kevin Beauparlant of Yardley, Pa., Joy Williams of Winchester, Mass., Brian Beauparlant of Lewiston, Kali Boulanger of Edgewood, Ky. and Jake Boulanger of Edgewood, Ky. and eight great-grandchildren surrounded the green to greet him with a thunderous standing ovation. He did not post the lowest score, but he knew he had won the hearts and minds of his fans. That was plenty good enough for him. He’s at the 19th hole now, recounting his round with his family and friends. Together, they celebrate his effort and appreciate the fact he was always a credit to the game.

Copy the Story Link