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Events
The Visitation will take place on Friday, February 14, 2025 at 5:00pm EST to 8:00pm EST at the Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Homes Inc. – Bethesda-Chevy Chase, located at 7557 Wisconsin Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814.
The Funeral Service will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 1:30pm EST at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, located at 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817. For those unable to attend the funeral service in-person, you can participate remotely by joining the virtual funeral service link above.
Obituary
A brilliant mind, a fierce competitor, a devoted family man, R. Larry Johnson died peacefully on February 4, 2025 surrounded by his family.
Born on September 26, 1946, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, to the late Loetta “Midge” Schoenholz and Theodore “Dick” Johnson, Larry came from humble beginnings. But from an early age, it was clear—he was destined for success.
Larry was raised Catholic and served as an altar boy throughout his childhood. A natural athlete, he excelled in sports, playing quarterback and point guard on his high school teams. His competitive spirit was undeniable, and that drive carried him through every stage of his life. In 1967, he married Nita McKinney. The following year, he graduated from the University of Maryland and they quickly started a family. Tracy was born that year followed by Kelly, 17 months later.
His professional career took off just as fast. He began his career at a Big Eight accounting firm and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest partner in charge of audits in Ernst & Whinney’s history. But Larry was never one to settle—in 1986 he left the firm to strike out on his own, forming Johnson Lambert & Co., and later the forensic accounting firm, Veris Consulting, where he worked on high profile cases like Enron and Madoff. In the field of forensic accounting, Larry’s intellect, quick wit, tenacity and unmatched attention to detail made him a force to be reckoned with in courtrooms throughout the country.
Still, nothing ever captured his heart quite like his love of horse racing, which he inherited from his grandfather, Earl Johnson, a prize fighter and horse trainer. The two spent countless hours at the track, and from those early days, Larry developed an uncanny instinct for the sport that would later become one of his greatest passions.
His success in the industry was nothing short of miraculous. He got his start in the business with Ran’s Chick, a horse Larry bought for $2,500 in 1976. Over a racing career that spanned nearly 50 years, he amassed an impressive racing record, including multiple graded stakes wins. A tireless advocate for the breeding and racing industry, he sat on the boards of horsemen’s groups, such as the Maryland Horse Breeders’ Association and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. In 2022, he was named Top Owner by the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. In 2021, he bred Mindframe, a 4-year-old colt that won or placed in all four starts in 2024, including running second in the Belmont Stakes.
Above all of his professional accomplishments, Larry’s proudest achievement was always his family. A lifelong sports fan, he made sure to share that passion with his daughters. From the time they were little, they were right by his side—watching and going to Redskins games, waking up for early morning workouts at the tracks in Bowie and Timonium, Saturday nights at Charles Town, and of course, as fixtures at the racetrack in his later years. His earliest horses were named after his daughters, a reflection of just how deeply he wove them into his world.
As a grandfather, Larry took equal pride in sharing his love of sports, politics and debate with his grandchildren.
Larry is survived by his two daughters, Tracy Mulroy and Kelly (Arturo) Caraballo, and his grandchildren, Isabella, Alex and Olivia Caraballo and Reece and Laura Mulroy, his “best friend ever,” Lynn Contino, and his former son-in-law, Kyle Mulroy. He is also survived by his brother, Michael (Robyn) Johnson and his sister, Barbara Johnson (Ruth Gresser). He is predeceased by his sister, Beverly Johnson.
Larry was brilliant, determined and fiercely loyal to the people and passions he loved. His impact—on his industry, his family, and everyone lucky enough to know him—will never be forgotten.
Visitation will be on Friday, February 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pumphrey Funeral Home, 7557 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814.
A memorial service and reception will be held on Saturday, February 15 at 1:30 p.m. at River Road Universalist Unitarian Congregation, 6301 River Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 (entrance on Whittier Blvd.)
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that charitable donations in Larry’s memory be made to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (www.oif.org) and The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (www.trfinc.org).