John Robert Larkin, Sr

John Robert Larkin February 17, 1955 - July 19, 2026 John Robert Larkin, 71, of Senoia, Ga., peacefully passed away in Newnan, Ga. on July 19, 2026. Born on February 17, 1955 in Mobile, Ala., John was raised in Huntsville, Ala. and graduated from Lee High School in 1973. During his high school years, he served as a student trainer for the Lee General athletes, a position that would become his life's work. Following graduation, John enrolled at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. and was hired as a student athletic trainer for the Tigers. He graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education, then moved into a graduate assistant position while he worked towards his Master of Science in health and physical education, which he completed in 1980. In 1979, he earned his Athletic Trainer Certification (ATC) and after graduating with his masters, was promoted to a full-time athletic trainer at Auburn, serving as head trainer for men's basketball and assistant trainer for football. In 1989, he began emergency medical technician classes at Southern Union State Community College and was certified as an EMT in 1991. In 1993, John gave up men's basketball when he was named the head football trainer at Auburn. John treated, cared for, and mentored athletes, coaches, student and graduate assistant trainers, coworkers - and all their families - for almost three decades, until his retirement in 2000. It's impossible to fully and accurately convey the tremendous impact John had on the thousands of men and women he treated and mentored during his career. Some student trainers arrived with little to no medical experience, but with John's patient teaching, quiet confidence and steady guidance, many fell in love with the profession and went on to have successful careers in the field. Former players fondly - and gratefully - remember how fiercely John advocated for them when coaches pushed for them to get back on the field or court before they were physically ready. Even if they disagreed, coaches respected John's judgment, expertise and decisions. John discovered his purpose and his passion in the athletic training room. He found it tremendously rewarding to be the first "on scene" when an athlete got hurt, staying with them through surgery and/or other treatments, working with them for countless hours every day of rehabilitation, and then, being there when they stepped back on the court or the field again. Every successfully rehabbed athlete was a victory for John. One of his most gratifying accomplishments was the 1983-84 men's basketball season when not a single player missed playing time due to an injury. During the NFL draft in the late 80s, one of the ESPN commentators said (paraphrased), "If you want to know how strong a player is or how fast they can run, ask a coach. But if you want to know the heart and soul of a player, ask his trainer." John Larkin was the epitome of that statement. Even 26 years after retiring, he not only remembered the name of every player who played football or men's basketball at Auburn from 1973-2000, but he could recall pretty much everything about each one: hometown, high school, parents, height and weight, jersey number, position played, years played, injuries (and how they happened), treatments, academic major - all of it. And his memory wasn't limited to the superstars at Auburn; John could recollect the same information just as easily for walk-ons and players who saw limited action - and he treated all of them the same. John could tell the best (and funniest) stories about interactions, antics and events involving athletes and coaches. Although he had some health struggles in recent years, his mind remained sharp, especially when it came to his years as a trainer. He was, indeed, a true Auburn man. John was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Margaret Larkin in 1986, brother-in-law Gunter Livingston in 2020, and his nephew Sean Larkin in 2022. He is survived by his beloved wife and devoted caregiver, Candy Gore-Larkin of Senoia; daughter, Anna Asbury (Ian) Carlson of Atlanta; son, John Robert "Bo" (Catherine) Larkin, Jr. of Auburn; two granddaughters in Auburn; father, Robert "Bob" Larkin (Leo) of Huntsville; siblings Anne Livingston, Carol Wright, and Donald (Sherry) Larkin of Huntsville, and Glenn (Doris) Larkin of Austin, Texas; one niece, five nephews and a host of great nieces and nephews; Candy's sons, Arthur (Ashton) Gore and Alex (Jennifer) Gore of Senoia, and their children; and John's former wife and the mother of Anna and Bo, Kate Asbury Larkin, of Opelika, Ala. The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Lori Crowder of Soleo Health for the exceptional care, compassion, and kindness she provided over the past six years. In accordance with John's wishes, no formal funeral service will be held. The family plans to celebrate John's life with his Auburn Family as part of a football weekend in Auburn this fall. Online condolences can be shared by visiting www.mckoon.com. McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory (770) 253-4580.