Larry Wilson, venue management professional and most recently president of Ignite Sports and Entertainment in Columbus, GA, has passed away at the age of 52.
Wilson was named President of Ignite Sports and Entertainment in June of this year to help lead the 
organization into an exciting foray of different entertainment events and further expand the Ignite brand. While with Ignite, Wilson had a very positive and upbeat demeanor with a drive to help others and put on great events and shows for the public.
Prior to his arrival at ISE, Wilson was an experienced entertainment and venue management executive in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he served as a senior VP of Facility Operations and Programming. Prior to his stint with the Jaguars, he spent 20+ years with SMG and served in many different markets (primarily in the southeast United States) in venue and event management.
“Larry’s passing is a monumental loss to our company and me, personally, as he was a decades-long friend.” Ignite Sports owner Jeff Croop said. “On behalf of both Ignite Sports and the Croop family we send our thoughts and prayers to Larry’s family.”
To honor Larry’s memory, the Columbus River Dragons hockey team will wear commemorative stickers with Wilson’s initials on their helmets for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
Larry is survived by his parents and his two sons, Trace and Jack. The entire Ignite Sports and Entertainment family gives our most sincere condolences to Larry’s loved ones and friends in this difficult time.
In a Facebook post shared by his sons, they wrote:
We are at a loss for words, our dad passed away last night around midnight. The doctors and nurses were able to make him comfortable and he passed peacefully.
The immense amount of love and support our family has received during this time has been astonishing. The calls, texts, emails, Facebook messages, donations, cards, etc., have truly reminded us how much our dad was loved, and for that we are forever grateful.
No one can deny the fact that our dad loved life! He put an emphasis on kindness, and lived life to the fullest every single day! His work ethic and passion for the sports/entertainment industry was clear to anyone who came in contact with him. He loved his work, he cherished the relationships his work created, and his legacy will live on forever. But most of all he loved his family, and he loved his friends!
The sons wrote more, but the message was made clear and obvious: their dad was a loved man who made a difference in his time on this earth.
