Here's to Lawrence Bear

This is my buddy Lawrence Bear.  With me at one of my many memorable Halloween b’day celebrations, which I can’t remember.  Phyllis Neill says it was in 1989.  He arrived in his Crewe outfit, which was very becoming.  I was Tina turner.  Obviously.

Lawrence Bear died a couple of months ago.  I’m sad and I think the world is, too.  He was crazy.  The good kind.  Our first advertising jobs were together at Leavell and Wise in 1970.  He made the whole staff (all 3 of us) leave one afternoon to see the movie “Putney Swope”—a bizarre look at advertising in that flagrantly polyester era. In the movie, the patients in the asylum swapped places with the creatives in the ad agency.  Their campaign was “Volvo.  Yeah, it’s boxy.  But It’s safe.”  Also, “Ethereal Cereal”. Not so bad even after all these years.

Lawrence and I always had kind of a close, distant relationship.  We formed an Agency together one time…Triad.  I thought it was me being kind after the demise of Bear Advertising.  Not so much. He never kept records and I lived by the time sheet.  Oh well, after about 10 years, I convinced the IRS that Triad really was dissolved.  We still loved each other.

Many a time, Lawrence and Warner and I threw back a couple of (dozen) drinks. Kat and Harry’s and Jubilee were fave haunts.  Those were good times, before any of us ever got sick or looked back or were really sad.  We were buds and what could be better than that?

It’s amazing how often I think of TLB3 (Theodore Lawrence Bear, III).  He wasn’t one to call me, or I him, but when we ran into one another at a ball game or an event, we were just…cool.  He always knew I was there and so was he.  Now he’s not and that’s pretty hard to comprehend.

He was one of the greats.  A terrific writer.  Ad guy extraordinaire…never let the facts pre-empt the concept. Hail fellow well met.  A huge personality. A much beloved resident of Montgomery, AL and of this planet.  Rev. Gates Shaw said L.B. knew the Lord and that makes me happy.  You never were sure with Lawrence.  But I hope he did.  I just want to see him again one day.  Hey L.B., miss you.

Dee Dee Harper
March 16, 2009