FOX 2 (WJBK) – Larry Benjamin, a lifelong Detroit Lions fan who was lauded on social media for his blue-dyed hair, died in hospice care on Sunday morning.
Larry died quietly in his sleep, according to his son Jeffrey Benjamin. He didn’t suffer.
In fact, Jeff claimed his father was overjoyed that his decision to dye his hair Honolulu blue during the playoffs made so many people happy.
He became an overnight sensation. And it all began with Jeff’s simple post on X in January.
“I posted a picture of my dad with blue hair and captioned it, ‘My dad is in hospice, hoping for the best, rooting for the Lions,’ and it went viral.” “I started getting all these alerts and everything,” Jeff explained. “I know my dad really appreciated and enjoyed it when it was happening.”
Not only did it draw a lot of attention, but it also piqued the interest of Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who prompted the 83-year-old to dye his hair in the first place.
“I was surprised at everything that happened,” Larry told FOX 2 in January. “I was just hoping a few people would say ‘OK I’ll dye my hair blue too.'”
Instead, Larry got a video call and a signed jersey from St. Brown himself.
“That’s amazing to watch. “It’s humbling as a player to know that you can make a difference in other people’s lives just by playing a sport and being who you are,” St. Brown said at the time, referring to Larry’s decision to color his hair.
And now, two months after the initial tweet, Jeff has taken to X to discuss his father’s passing. St. Brown reposted the announcement and offered his sympathy.
“Oh my gosh, I just checked it – I got 1.3 million views on that tweet,” remarked Jeff.
Jeff described the outpouring of sympathy from hundreds of strangers as “heart-warming.”
That is something Jeff believes his father would have appreciated.
Larry’s burial will be held on Friday, and his eulogy will undoubtedly highlight his blue hair.
