Honor Rev. Dr. Larry Coleman's Legacy

Our beloved father, husband, and community elder, Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2025. He was a brilliant legal mind, a devoted minister, a passionate historian, and a truth-teller who spent his life preserving Black history and uplifting others through faith, intellect, and love.

As we prepare to lay him to rest, we’re asking for your support to help cover the cost of his funeral, burial, and related expenses. Though his life insurance will cover a portion, additional support is needed to ease the financial burden on our family during this difficult time.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 to assist with:

Your support will allow us to honor him with the dignity he deserves and create a meaningful space for family, friends, and community to gather, grieve, and celebrate his remarkable life.

Whether you knew Larry personally or were touched by his work, ministry, or words, we welcome your help — any contribution, large or small, is deeply appreciated.

With love and gratitude,

The Coleman Family

Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman

January 3, 1951 – May 9, 2025

Attorney. Minister. Historian. Writer. Witness.

Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman, 74, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri, surrounded by the enduring love of his family and the lasting legacy of his life’s work.

Born in Canton, Mississippi, on January 3, 1951, to Elvis and Margie Coleman, Larry was the eldest of a large family. His early years in St. Louis, Missouri, were marked by responsibility, faith, and a drive to rise. Though his parents had limited formal education, they instilled in him a reverence for learning, community, and spiritual depth. He graduated from Webster Groves High School and earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Howard University—a place that would forever shape his intellectual and moral compass.

At Howard, Larry edited The Hilltop, fell in love with writing and public service, and began a lifelong journey at the intersection of law, theology, and Black history. He often said Howard gave him not just a degree, but an identity. That identity grounded everything that followed.

He launched his legal career as a law clerk to the legendary civil rights leader Benjamin L. Hooks, and later became the first Black Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. He worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and later founded a private practice, calling himself a “comprehensive attorney”—defending the law’s highest ideals whether in civil rights, criminal defense, or family law. He always believed the law should serve as a tool for healing, not just judgment.

He was also an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he pastored with conviction and compassion. In Butler, Missouri, while serving a small AME congregation, Larry rediscovered the long-neglected story of the Battle of Island Mound, where Black soldiers fought heroically in the Civil War before the Emancipation Proclamation. His tireless advocacy led to a state historic site, a bronze monument, and renewed pride in a pivotal chapter of Black resistance.

Larry was the founding chaplain and historian of the National Bar Association’s Law and Religion Section, where he found both professional kinship and spiritual fellowship. A member of the National Association of Trial Lawyers of America, he also contributed to numerous publications including The National Law Journal, The Kansas City Star, The Raytown Post, and The Globe. His final published piece—honoring civil rights icon Alvin Sykes—appeared in The Globeon November 28, 2024.

He authored The Collard Green Book, published The Nile Review, and maintained Larry’s Library, a personal blog exploring theology, literature, African identity, and justice with intellectual rigor and poetic insight.

Larry’s love story with his wife, Lyla Rollins Coleman, began on a New Orleans dinner cruise, continued through handwritten letters, and endured through 15 years of her devoted caregiving after his stroke in 2010. Together, they created a partnership rooted in faith, respect, and mutual admiration.

Larry brought his children along for the journey—whether through National Bar Association road trips, Friday night movies, deep conversations, or even recording a rap song. He gave his sons the gift of exposure, curiosity, and self-belief. His legacy lives through them: Kemet, a rap artist and founder of Vine Street Brewing Co., Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery; Imhotep, a filmmaker and director; and Andre, whose quiet strength mirrored his own.

He mentored many—on the baseball field, in the courtroom, in the pulpit, and online. On Facebook, he was a vibrant, joyful, and generous voice who shared wisdom and received it in return, believing deeply in the spiritual power of community.

Larry loved the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, gospel and spirituals, Shakespeare, African theology, and Black excellence in all its forms. He believed in language, legacy, and God—and he lived accordingly.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Lyla; sons Kemet Coleman (Lauren), Imhotep Coleman (Alexis), and Andre Johnson; grandchildren Lealoni Johnson, Aurianna Bates, Malachi Coleman, Jalen Coleman, Tiye Coleman, Miles Coleman, and Khalil Mullen; great-granddaughter Lataya Bates; and siblings Schleria McGill (Chris), Hazel Coleman (Willie), Pamela Coleman, Alvin Coleman, Anthony Coleman (Melissa), and Edwin Coleman.

He was preceded in death by his brothers Harold (Katrinka), Elvis Jr. (Bobbie), and Stephen Coleman, and by his granddaughter Dominique.

A life of inquiry, courage, and conviction, Rev. Dr. Larry Delano Coleman changed the record, elevated the conversation, and gave the next generation something stronger to stand on. His story will not be forgotten—because he made sure we would never forget ourselves.