Mary Virginia, A Father's Story

About the Book

Photographs, notebooks of leaves, and memories of childhood wonder are poignant reminders of Mary's needless encouragement, "Faster, daddy, faster."

Life moves much faster than we think, happy times pass quickly. It's not a substitute for the passage of life, but satisfying to know that Mary and I enjoyed her early years as the good old days worth remembering in a little book. All the days were important and there will continue to be good days but none will be more engaging for Mary and me than those that brought her initial start in life.

About the Author

Larry Welch is the father of Mary Virginia Welch, a position he has held for 10 years.

A humanitarian, Larry feeds the homeless, promotes programs to find a cure for breast cancer, and runs marathons to raise money to help those suffering from spina bifida, kidney disease, Downs syndrome, and leukemia. He as organized marrow donor drives, recruited bell-ringing teams for The Salvation Army, promoted Toys-for-Tots, helped jail inmates develop self- esteem, listened to the elderly and watched over children.

As he learns, he shares his compassionate insights as a public speaker with Toastmasters International and expresses a street-smart philosophy through is electronic newsletter,"On the run..."

In 1995 and 1999, he was selected as Toastmaster of the Year for the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland. In 1996, he became the first recipient of the National Race for the Cure Volunteer of the Year Award; and he was presented the 1997 Jill Ireland Award for Voluntarism by The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Dallas,Texas. In 1998, his employer,the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, presented him a Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his leadership in community relations. Toastmasters International has also recognized him as their Club President of the Year and Division Governor of the Year in the Washington area.

In 1984, he retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant (Limited Duty-Cryptology), and is now employed as a force protection analyst with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Washington, DC. In his position, he helps develop, implement and oversee policies that protect Navy people from the world's criminal element.

A storyteller at heart, Mary Virginia, A Father's Story, is his first book and was written as a gift for Mary.