FARMINGTON – Larry D. McKimmy, 65, passed away at home in Farmington on January 23, 2009, with his partner Claudia Bell and his brother Alan at his side.
Born in Clinton, Illinois, on November 14, 1943, to Arthur and Dorothy (Lawler) McKimmy, Larry spent his early years in Illinois. After graduating from Southern Illinois University with a degree in Criminology, he worked as a police officer, an armored car driver, and a licensed private investigator.
But his true calling was as a gifted singer and songwriter. With his rich, upside-down, left-handed guitar style, he sang at music clubs in Chicago, including the prestigious Earl of Oldtown. In 1976 he joined the Austin, Texas, music scene, entertaining audiences in venues large and small under the name “Binker D” for more than a decade and making music with some of Austin’s finest performers. He moved to Maine in the mid-1980s, where he worked as a computer technician and later as a staff reporter for the Aroostook Republican, all the while continuing his music-making.
He and singing partner Sue Buck of Weld have performed at the Fryeburg Fair for the past 11 years, at the Common Ground Fair, and at other venues in central Maine. Recently he was playing and singing in the Farmington area, embraced by a close-knit community of fans and friends.
Larry is survived by his partner Claudia Bell, by his brothers Donald and Alan McKimmy and daughters Meeshia Halverson and Shannon Crawley of Illinois, by his sons Jonathan and Patrick of Maine, by five grandchildren, and by many people whom his songs have touched over the years. They will miss his music, his smile, his wit, his warmth.
A musical celebration of Larry McKimmy’s life will be held at the Homestead Restaurant in Farmington, Maine, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. Arrangements under the direction of Adams~McFarlane Funeral & Cremation Services, 108 Court St., Farmington.
