Maryland Poison Center Mourns Passing of Staff Member

Larry Gonzales, general associate-senior IT specialist at the Maryland Poison Center, passed away unexpectedly on June 24.

By Emily Paterson
June 28, 2024

Larry Gonzales, general associate-senior IT specialist at the Maryland Poison Center (MPC), passed away unexpectedly on June 24.

Gonzales began working at University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in 1986 at the Francis King Carey School of Law, where he dedicated more than a decade of his career. He then transitioned to the School of Pharmacy, serving for 23 years, with the latter 14 years as the senior IT specialist at MPC. After an illustrious 35 years of service, Gonzales retired on November 30, 2021, only to return soon after on contract to continue his vital IT work with the MPC team.

Gonzales was an indispensable part of the MPC family, and his expertise and dedication were woven into every facet of the center’s operations and services.

“Larry would joke that if anything was plugged into the wall, he was responsible for it,” said Bruce Anderson, PharmD, DABAT, professor emeritus of practice, sciences, and health outcomes research and former executive director of MPC.

Gonzales’ unwavering support ensured the smooth running of the MPC’s 24-hour service, often answering calls for help at all hours. His contributions were integral to every research project, meticulously creating and managing data sets for analysis.

“It goes without saying that Larry was a wonderful person and such a key part of the MPC,” said Joshua King, MD, FACMT, medical director of MPC and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“Larry touched so many over the years with his calm demeanor, his kind words, and his unflagging support of everyone in the center,” said Angel Bivens, MBA, CSPI, managing director of MPC. “It was a testament to his spirit and his generosity that he kept working at MPC part-time after retirement because we needed his help, and he wouldn’t let his friends and colleagues down.”

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 29. A viewing will be held from 10:00–11:00 a.m. and a funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. A light reception will follow. All events will be held at the New Apostolic Church (1910 Putty Hill Ave., Parkville, MD, 21234).

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