Larry Louis Poncino

Larry Louis Poncino passed away peacefully at his home in Tucson, AZ on July 14, 2024, with friends, family and his beloved wife JoAnn by his side.  Larry lived a cherished and full life before succumbing to illness at the age of 67.

Larry aka “Moose” was born in Los Angeles, CA on February 3, 1957, to Louis (deceased) and Anna Marie (Sale) Poncino.  He is survived by his wife JoAnn (Thibert) Poncino, his sister Lisa Poncino and brother Joe (wife Kathy), along with a myriad of aunts, cousins, in-laws, nieces & nephews.  His best friend of almost 60 years, Ted “Theo” Kalota, will miss the bond he had with Larry deeply.

Larry loved his mom.  He loved to spend holidays and enjoyed her delicious cooking.  As the saying goes, the way to Larry’s heart was through his stomach.  With tutelage and guidance from Anna Marie, JoAnn was able to duplicate the many Italian family traditions Larry so cherished.

Larry was born to be an umpire; he proudly served Major League Baseball from 1985 until his retirement in 2007, donning his lucky numbers #13 & #39.  A highlight of his illustrious career was calling a perfect game for Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos at Dodgers Stadium on July 28th, 1991. Another highlight came during the epic 1998 Mark McGuire – Sammy Sosa home run chase.  Along with his favorite crew of Rip, Zap & Winnie, they called multiple games for the Cubs & Cardinals.

Besides the deep loyalty he had to his wife JoAnn, Larry’s other passion was the game of golf.  He was known for having a stellar short game, fondly remembered as “a magician with a wedge and putter.”   Larry bagged five “hole-in-one’s” during his lifetime, with four aces coming at his “homebase” of Tucson Country Club.  Larry had all the shots in the bag, which were showcased when he won the San Clemente City Championship.  “Uncle Larry” was proud of all his nieces and nephews, but he was particularly proud of his nephew Vinnie.  Larry thoroughly enjoyed watching Vinnie’s successful golf career, including participation in multiple PGA Tour events.

Most importantly, Larry will be remembered as a man of INTEGRITY, with deep beliefs grounded in honor, truth and loyalty – a man of his word.  He was the BEST storyteller, with a heart of gold, a quick smile, and a laugh like no other.  His memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.  No one will miss him more than JoAnn.  Her love and commitment carried him through all the good times and through the poor health of the last few years.  Her deep devotion sustained him until he was finally called home.

Larry and JoAnn are very appreciative of the many friends and family in their life.  From the Pride of the Pacific “The Muni” in San Clemente to the “Back Porch Mafia” at Tucson Country Club to their summer home on Hamilton Lakes and golfing at Pine Grove CC in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Larry and JoAnn have a lifetime of friends and are truly grateful.

As good friend Tim McGuire said, Larry saw things in black or white, balls or strikes, safe or out.  One perfect story highlighting this goes when Larry got a ticket for running a stoplight in Tucson he decided to oppose the charge.  He got on the stand in front of the district judge and said, “I have been an umpire for 20 years, and I call them the way I see them.  I stopped at the light and the police officer said that I did not…I’m used to making judgement calls and “the tie goes to the runner.”  The judge laughed and immediately dismissed the case.

Gone way too soon and way too fast, Larry was larger than life and one of the greatest characters that we were lucky enough to have as a son, Brother, Uncle, Friend and Husband.  Larry’s favorite movie line came from the Godfather - “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”

Please – No flowers.  You may honor his memory with donations to umpscare.com, an organization that helped Larry and JoAnn greatly during these difficult times.  

A memorial service will be officiated by longtime friend Father Richard Kingsley at St. Pius X on August 17th at 11:00 am, with a celebration of life at Tucson Country Club starting at 1:00 pm.