Yesterday, our family lost a man who had only just begun to taste freedom again. My grandfather, Larry Larkin Henderson, passed away less than a month after finally walking out of prison after 52 long years.

The system forgot about him but our family never did.

When those gates finally opened, my mom became his constant. She cared for him every single day. She made sure he had a safe place to sleep, warm meals, and, most importantly, the love and connection he had been missing for so long. In those short weeks of freedom, Larry experienced things most of us take for granted: feeling the sun on his face without fences, eating home-cooked food, hearing music again, and living without a clock dictating his every move. He smiled more in those weeks than he had in decades. He was sweet, humble, and grateful for every single moment.

On the morning he passed, he was found by my Granny — his former wife and the mother of his children. In his final moments, he was not alone. He was surrounded, as he should have always been, by people who cared for him deeply.

We thought we’d have more time. More talks. More laughter. More chances to give him the life he had been denied for so long. Instead, our last gift to him will be giving him the dignity he deserves in rest.

We are not asking for a service or burial — just enough for his cremation, so he can be brought home to our family where he belongs. Your kindness will help us honor a veteran, a father, a grandfather, and a man whose heart somehow stayed soft despite everything the world took from him.

If you can give, know that you’re not just helping cover a cost — you are making sure Larry’s story ends with love, dignity, and honor. And if you can’t give, please share his story so the world remembers him.

Larry’s life mattered. His freedom mattered. And now, his rest will matter too.

We love you three many muches, Granddaddy.

With live and gratitude

-Jessica