JAMES LARTER
March 4th 1976 – July 6 2009
The times I had the pleasure of meeting James it was evident that he was a gift to all those that were in his life.
RIP James, your spirit will live within all of us.
Statement by John Larter, father of James Larter
“My family and I stand in the centre of that dark nightmare that all of us with children have hidden in the back of our minds. It is even more painful than I feared. Our beautiful son was our very heartbeat and breath. We stood around his bed in the hospital where he was laying covered in knife wounds and slashes, too many stitches to number. There were tubes attached to him everywhere bringing him blood and helping him to breathe and cling to life. His 12-year-old daughter was kneeling on a chair beside him with her head resting on his broad shoulder. Her tears had soaked his hospital gown and made a perfect circle where she lay. In that safe and familiar place on her dad’s shoulder she somehow fell asleep. It was then we turned off the respirator, watched our son’s face turn pale as he slipped away from us while his little girl slept. As I stood there, I thought, if the young man who did this to my son and her daddy could stand alongside me and watch all this unfold, he would be so ashamed that the knife would fall from his hand and he would never use one again. And I would gladly forgive him.”
Gentle man and friend. My condolences to you and your family.
I unfortunately did not have the honor of meeting James Larter, but I want to extend my deepest sympathies to his grieving family.
Mr John Larter, your comments took my breath away.
Teri