Laurier Regis Carrier's Obituary
Laurier “Larry” Regis Carrier, retired Chief Warrant Officer of the United States Navy, passed away on October 12, 2024, surrounded by his family’s love in Ocala, Florida, at the age of 76. A devoted father, husband, brother, Pepere (grandfather), and Navy veteran, Larry exemplified loyalty, dignity, and duty to both his country and his family.
Born on June 10, 1948, in Lewiston, Maine, Larry was the son of Lionel Carrier and Rita Jacques. He attended Holy Cross School and graduated from St. Dominic’s Catholic High School in 1965, where he developed a passion for hockey, especially when competing against cross-town rival Lewiston High School. After games, he and his teammates often celebrated with pizza at Luigi’s, his favorite hangout.
In September of 1967, he enlisted in the United States Navy and spent 18 months at Boot camp and Training School at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago, Illinois. His first duty station was NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After a year in Cuba, he went back to his hometown to marry the love of his life, Linda Davis in April of 1970 before he was assigned to the USS Lawrence for a year deployment. After returning from sea, he was back in Guantanamo Bay and in December if 1972, their first child was born, Dionne Marie.
In June of 1973, he was assigned to Naval Security Station in Washington, DC. While there living in Manassas, Virginia, they welcomed their second child, Timothy Marc in April of 1975. They stayed in Washington, DC until April of 1977 and then transferred to the beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. There he earned the rank of Chief Petty Officer and Master Chief Petty Officer. In August of 1981, he was called north to Groton, Connecticut. This was a short assignment, only two years and was the closest to his home state of Maine since he enlisted.
In June of 1983, Larry was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 before he and the family headed to Naval Security Group Detachment in Subic Bay, Philippines. They spent four years at this duty station, which by far was the family’s favorite. The next assignment kept with the tropical weather theme…NAS Key West, Florida. During the four and a half years with the Naval Security Group Activity in Key West, he was promoted to Warrant Officer 3 and 4.
Larry’s final duty station was at Homestead Air Force Base with the Naval Security Group Activity in 1993. Shortly after his arrival, Hurricane Andrew devastated the base, and Larry was appointed Commanding Officer to oversee the command’s closure. After 26 years of service, Larry retired from the Navy in October 1993.
Following his retirement, Larry and Linda made Homestead their home. Larry continued to serve his community as the Executive Director of the USO in Miami, a position that quickly became more than just a “part-time” job as Larry poured countless hours into serving military families. He later worked for the Homestead Reserve Base’s Finance Department, where he served for a decade, including a period as Director, before retiring again in 2006, this time for good!.
Larry & Linda took advantage of retired life and were constantly visiting their grandchildren in Key West and Ocala. Larry also took this time to do something he had grown to love, which was golf. He learned to golf in the Philippines and was an active golfer in Key West. He made many life-long friendships on the golf course that continued off the course until his death.
In August of 2020, Larry lost his beloved wife of 50 years to cancer. Larry felt so blessed to have had those wonderful years and was by her side until the very end. In September 2021, Larry contracted COVID-19 and spent six months in the hospital, but remarkably made a full recovery. He continued to live independently in his home for another two and a half years, always displaying remarkable strength and resilience.
Larry was preceded in death by his wife Linda, and his parents, Lionel and Rita. He is survived by his two children, Dee Dee Harnish (Michael) and Tim Carrier (Sheena), and five grandchildren: Christian, Ryleigh, Dylan, Emma, and Mason. He is also survived by his brothers, Gilles Carrier (Bobbie) and Gerard Carrier (Yvonne), niece Nicole Day, nephew Benjamin Carrier (Tricia), brother-in-law, William Davis, and many cousins.
A memorial service will be held on December 7, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Branam Funeral Home, 809 North Krome Avenue in Homestead, Florida, followed by a reception at the Carrier home. Burial will take place at a later date at Cape Canaveral Veterans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the USO in memory of Chief Warrant Officer Carrier at USO Memorial Donation.
Larry’s legacy of service, love, and friendship will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. He was truly a hero to many, and the world is a little dimmer without him.
What’s your fondest memory of Laurier?
What’s a lesson you learned from Laurier?
Share a story where Laurier's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Laurier you’ll never forget.
How did Laurier make you smile?