Maris Grove Resident Selected for Delaware Sports Hall of Fame

Larry Shenk, a resident of Maris Grove, an Erickson Living retirement community in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, has been selected for induction into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. Shenk, who was head of public relations for the Philadelphia Phillies for 44 years, is being honored for his outstanding accomplishments in the world of athletics and for bringing distinction to the state of Delaware over the last five decades.

“It’s quite an honor, especially since I’m not an athlete,” said Shenk, who moved to Maris Grove with his wife Julie in 2013.

“I always wanted to work with the Phillies,” said Shenk. “It was my dream job.”

Since his retirement as vice president for public relations, Shenk is still pursuing his passion by volunteering his time writing minor league and alumni stories for the Phillies website as well as his own Twitter about the team (@ShenkLarry). Also, at Maris Grove, he enjoys being a member of the Maris Grove “Sports Chatter” discussion group on campus.

A graduate of Myerstown (Pa.) High School and Millersville (Pa.) State College, he came to Delaware in 1963 to join the Wilmington News Journal as a sports writer and covered high school, college, club, and amateur sports. A year later, he was hired by the Phillies and was the youngest public relations director in major league baseball. In over four decades with the Phillies, he dealt with many deadlines, controversies, moves into two new ballparks, pennant races, and an enormous expansion in the position’s demands.

He authored several books during his tenure with the Phillies including “If These Walls Could Talk,” a memoir of stories from the Phillies dugout, locker room, and press box, “The Fightin’ Phillies” and “This Date in Phillies History.” In 1983, he became the third winner of the Bob Fishel Award, which honors a Major League Baseball front-office employee for professionalism, ethics, character, dedication, and humanitarianism. The winners are commemorated on a plaque at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He was inducted into the Central Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Philadelphia Sportswriters Association has honored him with its Good Guy Award (1995) and Lifetime Achievement Award (2008).

On May 22, family and friends from Maris Grove, including fellow Hall of Famer and Maris Grove resident Nancy Keiper, will celebrate Shenk’s accomplishments at the Hall of Fame Induction Banquet Dinner at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington.

About Maris Grove: Maris Grove, one of 19 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 87-acre campus in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. The community is located in Delaware County and is home to more than 1,600 residents. Additional information about Maris Grove can be found at MarisGrove.com.