LARRY BUCK LANCASTER, SR.OCTOBER 10, 1938 - AUGUST 18, 2015

Larry Lancaster was a commanding presence, not just in stature, though he stood 6’5” with broad shoulders and a burly physique, but in sheer personality.

“I first met Larry on July 4, 1960,” says longtime coworker and friend, Tiny Aldridge. “EJ Poindexter and Mr. Barnhill hired me as an engineer and I drove from my home in Ashland, VA to meet Larry and Ronald Griffin, who was a superintendent. They were on their way to Upper Marlboro, MD and we drove up together. I liked Larry right away. He was a down-to-earth person. What you saw was what you got, and he was a hard, hard worker. We never let up on each other. He was a great friend and I will miss him.”

Born on October 10, 1938, Larry led a life defined by an intense drive, fierce determination and a heart bigger than he was.

“Larry was always striving to improve quality and production in the asphalt lay down operations,” says Bob Barnhill, chairman and chief executive officer of Barnhill Contracting Company. “This, combined with his work ethic and positive attitude, made him a legend in our company and throughout our industry.”

“He could ride up on a job and tell you if something was wrong, just by looking,” declares Buddy Rose, Tarboro/Rocky Mount Division area manager. “For Larry, quality and production were extremely important. Up early, he was always the first man on the job. He called one morning and I was in bed. Thinking I overslept, I told Larry I would be right there – turns out it was 3:30am.”

Larry began his career with Barnhill on February 6, 1960, shortly after the company was awarded its first highway contract in Virginia. His first job was on I-95 in Emporia, VA and then Route 4 in Maryland where he was introduced to Tiny and Ed Morgan, who became his lifelong friends.

“In those days we didn’t have any money and the only way you were going to get money was to work hard,” recounts Ed. “Mr. Barnhill wasn’t going to keep you around just to look at you. We learned how to do things from The Boss - how to motivate people, to work together, to get the job done right.”

“Larry was smart,” adds Ed. “He could tell right quick if something was going wrong on the job and he didn’t wait for someone to do it, he jumped in there and got things done. Riding up on one of his jobs, folks wouldn’t even know he was the superintendent. He stayed right there working

alongside his crew. Truth be told, Larry Lancaster has likely put more asphalt down than anyone else at Barnhill today.”

“Larry had a personal drive to be the best he could each and every day,” says Lee Cooper, executive vice president and chief operations officer of Barnhill. “He was an excellent planner and strived to execute his plan regardless of the circumstances. He was always positive. If there was a 40% chance it would rain, Larry said there was a 60% chance it wouldn’t.”

That dedication built on a positive attitude, helped shape Barnhill into the success it is today. In 1966, Mr. Barnhill

purchased an asphalt plant, located it in Tarboro and tasked his trusted employee to oversee the company’s latest venture into the paving business. A year later, Larry met and married the love of his life, Vikki Brown, and settled in the small town to raise a family.

“I met Larry at the Hollywood Drive-In,” remembers Vikki. “Thirty days later when he proposed, I said yes. I just knew. Of course, my mother took a while to warm up to him, she wasn’t crazy about my getting married after only knowing him for a month, but once she got to know Larry, she loved him. Everyone did. He made friends everywhere we went. In 2008, shortly after an accident requiring a long rehabilitation, we celebrated his birthday in the hospital and the staff was astounded at the visitors we had. The nurses and staff just loved him and

to this day, he sent platters of sandwiches up there. He was always thinking of others.”

Larry’s compassion for others and his drive can be traced back to his early years growing up on a cotton and tobacco farm in Smithfied. Though Larry’s parents, Mary and Horace Lancaster, had their own family of four – three boys and a girl – they raised Mary’s two sisters after her mother passed away. The family of eight was tight-knit and enjoyed time together, often singing and playing instruments. Mary and the children worked hard, tending the 35-acre farm while her husband worked as a salesman at Heavner’s in town.

“Larry demanded things be done the right way,” Buddy says. “He took such pride in his work and the bottom course of asphalt was just as clean and pretty as the top finish course, even though no one would ever see it.”

That sense of integrity carried through Larry’s entire life. From his long work hours to the sense of joy he found with Vikki and their children – Bucky, Reed, Laura Brown and

Top: Larry and Robert E. Barnhill, Sr. at the annual company meeting. Bottom: Larry and Ed Morgan at Family Day 2012.

Catherine. The Lancaster children grew up understanding the importance of family and Larry was their cornerstone. Bucky remembers his mother treating his father like a king, having dinner ready and the house vacuumed and straightened before he arrived, often after 9:00pm.

“Family time was special to my dad,” adds Laura Brown. “We always ate supper together as a family. Dad loved his job and that meant long hours and late-night suppers. Even as adults we still gather around the table to talk and share stories.”

“Saturday was always a workday at the cow pasture for me and dad. This was our time together, a love we shared. Dad was my best friend and I thought if I could be half the man he was, I would be okay,” says Reed.

While his day often started before dawn, working at Barnhill or with cattle, Larry never missed a kick-off when Bucky and Reed were playing football at Tarboro High School and found time to invest in others as well.

“When I was in the ninth grade, Larry and I started lifting weights,” adds Allen Barnhill, group president of Barnhill. “He worked 12-14 hours a day and made time to work out with a 15-year-old kid. His physical presence and strength were amazing. Larry embodied hard work and his accomplishments spoke to this. He didn’t accept less than the best or being anything less than the best. His integrity and work ethic were always in line with the company’s and Larry was the personification of Barnhill values.”

“He thought the world of his crew,” says Vikki. “No other superintendent worked as hard as Larry did, often working on the machine so his men could take a break. It was important to him to keep up with production and to do the best for Barnhill. When he was out, Travis Spivey and Danny Bridgers called him every day to tell him where they were working and how much tonnage they got down that day. Keeping up with work sustained him.”

Larry became a father figure to many of the young men who worked on his crew, including Danny whose father died when he was 26 years old.

“He molded me,” says Danny. “There’s no telling where I would be if it weren’t for him. We talked just about every day and he was always sure to tell me how proud he was of us.”

Larry Powell who worked on Larry’s paving crew for more than 42 years echoes Danny’s sentiment, “He was like a

father to me. We worked side by side every day. Larry and Vikki looked after me and treated me just like family. He was always doing something good for his men. He was a good man.“

Larry’s impact was also felt by his colleagues at the NCDOT where he forged strong relationships over his 55-year career.

“I met Larry in the summer of 1993, early in my career with the NCDOT,” remembers Ronnie Keeter, resident engineer. “I

spent a good part of that summer walking behind the paver with him. The first day, you knew exactly who was in charge of the paving operation. I think he could tell that I was a little nervous about the way he was motivating his men to perform to a high level. He slipped over to me and said, ‘Son, I’m not really mad I’m just trying to get them going. If I start singing Jesus Loves Me, you might want to back up then, because I’m getting ready to get upset.’”

“I don’t go to many funerals,” adds JC Manning, former roadway construction engineer for the NCDOT. “But I went to this one for one reason – respect. I had so much respect for Larry - he was an exceptional person and a great man. He was loyal, would go through hell for his crew, and they would do the same for him. He led by example. In my 36 years with the NCDOT, I haven’t met anyone who did as good a job as Larry Lancaster.”

Larry Lancaster was an uncommon man – someone who lived an extraordinary life – and who believed in the power of people. Married to Vikki for 48 years, and employed at Barnhill for 55 years, his legacy cannot be measured simply by years, but must be measured by the standard he set.

“Growing up, I thought Daddy was superman,” says Bucky. “In my eyes he was the greatest and all that heavy equipment was the greatest. I’ve been with Daddy ever since high school. I always knew I wanted to work with him, follow right alongside him.”

“It’s hard to pick just one or two things to say about my dad, he was my go-to person for everything in life. Our happiness was all he worried about,”adds Catherine.

“I think Larry was so special because he cared,” adds Ronnie. “He cared about his men, he cared about his work, he cared about everything in his influence. If you take a ride on the roads in eastern North Carolina, you can certainly tell that he has made his mark. He will not be forgotten.”

Larry and Vikki enjoy time with their grandchildren.