Laurence K. Avanzino was Kathy Hilton’s father, who was born on December 26, 1935, and died on February 18, 1997. He was at the age of 61.
Laurence worked as an independent painter throughout his life, but there are reports claiming that he was once working in the financial sector. The Massachusetts native married three times before his death and had seven children to show for his years in marriage.
Summary of Laurence K. Avanzino’s Biography
- Full Name: Laurence K. Avanzino
- Nickname: Larry
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: 26th of December 1935
- Date of Death: February 18, 1997
- Laurence K. Avanzino’s Age at Death: 61 years old
- Ethnicity: Italian-American
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Laurence K. Avanzino’s Wife: Kathleen Mary Dugan Fenton (first wife – married 1958, divorced 1963), Diane Campisi (second wife), and Virginia Avanzio (third wife)
- Laurence K. Avanzino’s Children: Seven
- Laurence K. Avanzino’s Parents: Elizabeth and Laurence Avanzino
- Siblings: Kenneth and Adele Avanzino
- Famous For: Being the father of Kathy Hilton
When was Laurence K. Avanzino Born?
Laurence K. Avanzino was born on the 26th of December 1935 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States. This obviously makes him a citizen of America, but his ethnic background is said to be Italian-American.
Laurence “Larry” Kenneth Avanzino, as his full name says, is the son of Italian immigrants who put down roots in Massachusetts. His dad was Laurence Avanzino (born in 1910 and died in 1992), while his mother was Elizabeth Jean Chisholm Avanzino, who is also late. Larry wasn’t the only child of his parents, as he had a sister called Adele Avanzino and a brother who goes by the name Kenneth Avanzio.
Growing up, Larry never saw eye to eye with his parents. In fact, his childhood is best described as turbulent as he rebelled against his family. By the age of 15, he was already struggling with alcohol abuse, near-death reckless driving, a series of fights, and many other wild escapades. Even after he attained middle age, Larry fought one last fight that nearly claimed his life.
The details of Larry’s early academic pursuit were not documented but according to reports, he is a college graduate who attended San Francisco State University. During his days at college, Larry was active in his Institution’s football team. The Massachusetts native earned a degree in business administration after his graduation from college.
What Did Kathy Hilton’s Father Do For A Living?
There are online sources claiming that Laurence K. Avanzino worked in the corporate world as a financial analyst. The details of this aspect of his professional life are not known, but the company he allegedly worked for was based in San Francisco.
Another account of Larry’s professional life listed him as an independent painter, though he came from a very rich and respected family background.
Laurence K. Avanzino was Married Three Times
Laurence K. Avanzino tested the turbulent waters of matrimony three times in his lifetime. He first tied the nuptial knot with Kathleen Mary Dugan Fenton, aka Big Kathy. The duo first crossed paths when Larry was a university student in 1957. The first time they saw each other, Larry indulged himself in a football game in front of his parent’s home in Manhasset Plandome.
A tall, handsome, muscular, and blond guy, Larry attracted women like a moth to a flame, and it took very little for Kathy to fall for him. The duo started dating immediately.
While the couple’s family was busy planning an elaborate Catholic wedding for them. They decided to elope and had a secret wedding. However, when they finally surfaced, their families still held the elaborate ceremony as earlier planned. Reports said Big Kathy was pregnant with her first child at the time of their wedding
Kathy and Larry’s union eventually lasted for five years before they decided to call it quit in 1963. After his marriage to Kathy ended, Laurence K. Avanzino found love again in the arms of Diane Campisi, who eventually became his second wife. The details of their wedding are not known and the time they divorced is not equally public knowledge.
Larry still went on to marry his wife number three, Virgina Avanzio. Nothing is also known about their union, but it was Virginia that gave birth to Larry’s popular daughter Elizabeth Avanzio.
In the same way as Larry, his first wife, Big Kathy, also married three more times to Ken Richards, Jack Catain, and Robert Fenton, who she lived with until her death.
Why Did Larry and Kathy Divorce?
The reason Larry and Kathy decided to cut their relationship short has never been disclosed, but according to the independent painter’s sister, Adele Avanzino, her brother and his wife had a turbulent marriage.
There were far from compatible, and their marriage was characterized by so much shouting and yelling. Talking to the author of House of Hilton, Jerry Oppenheimer, Adele said that her brother, Laurence K. Avanzino, never liked the way Big Kathy was promoting their daughter Little Kathy.
Big Kathy was practically never at home and was constantly running all over the place with their daughter, which was the reason Little Kathy got discovered at the tender age of two. However, all the running around did not go down well with her father. This may not be the immediate reason for their divorce, but it contributed to the constant friction in their union.
Laurence K. Avanzino Had Seven Children
Barely a few months after he exchanged wedding vows with his first wife, Big Kathy, Larry became a first-time father to Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino, also called Kathy Hilton or Little Kathy. Kathy announced her entrance on the 13th of March 1959 and was born in New York City in the United States.
She attended the Los Angeles-based College Preparatory School, where she became Michael Jackson’s best friend. The duo was still very close till Jackson died in 2009. Little Kathy grew up to achieve fame as a fashion designer, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist.
Larry’s other children include Lauren Tretheway, Laurence K. Avanzino Jr., Kristin Avanzio, Elizabeth Avanzino, Johnathan Avanzino, and R.I Avanzino. The independent painter’s other kids came from his last two marriages, but the details of how they are distributed between Diane Campisi and Virgina Avanzio are not known.
Little Kathy has two siblings from her mum’s other marriages, Kim and Kyle Richards
Did Kathy Hilton Have a relationship with Laurence K. Avanzino?
Kathy Hilton did have a relationship with her father, but it was not a close-knit one. If what Larry’s second wife, Diane Campisi, said is anything to go by, then the father-and-daughter relationship between Larry and his first daughter was strained. He didn’t raise her, and his only contribution to Kathy was the genes he passed on.
What Happened to Laurence K. Avanzino?
Laurence K. Avanzino died at the age of 61. His death occurred on the 18th of February 1997 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island, in the United States. Larry was not buried but cremated and was survived by his seven children.
