Vancouver, Canada – Larry Shulman died on November 3rd, 2026, at the University of British Columbia Hospital in Vancouver while recovering from a brief illness. He was 89 years (or, as he would say – “actually 90” – always anticipating the next step).
Larry was born on May 17, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, the third of five children. He was predeceased by his parents, Frieda Geller Shulman and William Shulman, and by his older sister Melva and younger brother Edward.
Larry was nurtured and shaped by his early years in Brooklyn. Those loving and unique Brooklyn characteristics remained part of his personality and his life. Among other neighborhood skills, “ranking” (friendly verbal put-downs) was one he loved to share with his sons and grandson. He grew up during the era of the Brooklyn Dodgers with Saturday MLB games at Ebbets Field. He and his father attended history-making games together on Saturday afternoons, leaving many cherished memories to share during his lifetime.
After Boys High School in Brooklyn, he attended The City College of New York, where in addition to other honors, he won the annual mambo contest and, as we were told, rated big-time in the billiards room. He also graduated.
Larry went on to graduate studies earning his Masters in Social Work at Columbia University School of Social Work in New York City, and then completing his doctorate in Educational Psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia.
His life-time academic career included faculty positions at Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania, McGill University in Montreal, University of British Columbia, Boston University, and finally as Dean of the School of Social Work, State University of New York at Buffalo. As he often quipped when describing his academic career – “I couldn’t hold a job!” In 2014, he was recognized on a national level by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), receiving the Significant Lifetime Achievement in Social Work Education Award. He served as co-editor of The Clinical Supervisor, a journal published by Taylor and Francis. He was also the co-founder and co-chair of the International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision. The conference, inaugurated in 2005, was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), and is still held annually.
Larry authored 7 textbooks used in graduate Schools of Social Work and in Counseling programs. He also published numerous articles in scholarly journals and was the recipient of significant research grants in Canada and the US. He was an early contributor to the development of “evidence-based practice” in the social work profession. This involved the identification of specific clinical practice and supervision skills and their correlation to client outcome measures. His work focused on the interactional model of social work practice, direct helping skills, group work, and supervision. Several texts and portions of his texts have been translated into French, Mandarin, and Farsi. He was invited to make presentations or lead workshops on professional clinical practice and supervision in the US, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, and at Bar-Ilan University in Israel.
Larry was foremost a loving, supportive father to his two sons, David and Stuart. Coaching their baseball and hockey teams was a passion. Never having played hockey (or skated) in Brooklyn, he accepted the job as coach of a hockey team of Canadian 10-12 year-olds in Vancouver, BC, where hockey is taken seriously. In his first foray onto the ice, clipboard in hand, he neglected to take off his skate guards, with predictable results. He loved to tell that story. At the end of the season, his team presented him with a hockey helmet signed by all team players “in case he decided to coach again”. His coaching did continue and was characterized by his insistence that all players receive fair ice time.
The bonus for Larry was his grandson, Liam, who has been an extraordinary source of love and pride. Liam was an accomplished soccer player from an early age through to starting for the Brandeis University men’s varsity team. Attending soccer games over the years was for Larry “the best.” Liam, who is now a student at the University of Virginia Law School, was a spark in Larry’s life that never failed to bring a characteristic huge smile. One of their favorite relaxing things was watching gripping episodes of Law & Order together.
Larry is survived by his wife, Sheila, with whom he would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on December 29th of this year. Larry is also survived by his son David Scott Shulman and daughter-in-law Christine Yanisiw, of Whistler, British Columbia (BC); his son Stuart William Shulman of Vancouver BC; his grandson Liam Sage Carpenter-Shulman of Charlottesville, Virginia; his sister Phyllis Monks of New Hyde Park, NY; his brother, Arthur Elliot Shulman and sister-in-law Ruth Shulman, of Fort Salonga, New York, and by a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins in New York, Arizona, and on Vancouver Island, BC.
Larry brought to all his life’s adventures, both personal and professional, a spirit of inclusion, good friendship, passion, humor, and caring. Although he and Sheila enjoyed life in many interesting cities over the years, their home for 23 years after retirement (until September 2025) was at Eastman in Grantham, New Hampshire. The sense of community at Eastman was strong, but above all they felt fortunate to have neighbors, both at Eastman and in other parts of New Hampshire, who became close, supportive friends. One highlight for Larry was a monthly lunch with a group called MOCA (Men of a Certain Age), which tells you all you need to know. Larry was enormously grateful for the generosity and kindness of his neighbors and friends.
A Tribute to Larry’s Life will take place in Vancouver on a December date to be confirmed.
A scholarship fund will be established in Larry’s name at the SUNY Buffalo School of Social Work should anyone wish to contribute.
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