Larry McMichael, 59, manager at Oxford Books

Larry McMichael of Decatur appreciated well-made things, such as fine wine and handcrafted wooden bowls. Throughout his life, he would develop an interest in something, study it intensely and perhaps work in the field until he had mastered the subject, then move on to the next big thing, said his wife, Kitty Moran of Decatur.

“He had a lot of different interests over his life that he pursued serially,” she said.

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Family photo

Larry McMichael with his wife, Kitty Moran.

Mr. McMichael, 59, died Tuesday of an aneurysm at Emory University Hospital, the same hospital where he had been born. The funeral will be 2 p.m. today at A.S. Turner & Sons funeral home in Decatur, which is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. McMichael graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he majored in English. He worked for many years as a department manager at Oxford Books, a much-loved independent bookstore in Atlanta that closed in 1997.

He also studied music at Clayton State University and played classical guitar. He was part-owner of a guitar store for several years, his wife said.

An burgeoning interest in wine in the early 1990s led Mr. McMichael to take a job at a wine specialty shop, where he supplemented his on-the-job training with reading about wine. His expertise led to a job in 1994 as a wine buyer for Atlanta Wholesale Wine, where he was employed when he died.

As a fine wine buyer, he learned about wine and tasted wines from around the world.

“You buy futures of a vintage that will be sold in a few years, so you have to really know the producers and the vineyard,” said his wife. “You are buying on spec based on the integrity and reputation of the vineyard.”

A recent interest was woodworking, and Mr. McMichael filled his basement with lathes and other equipment to make furniture and wooden bowls, his wife said. He made bowls and wooden pens to give to friends, some of whom urged him to show his work in galleries, she said.

“He was at the point he was getting ready to do that,” his wife said.

Mr. McMichael also enjoyed cooking for his wife and for friends and was never afraid to try a new dish, whether it was a challenging new dessert or smoked meat, she said.

Survivors also include his mother Lee McMichael of Gainesville; son David McMichael of Lookout Mountain; and brother Jim McMichael of Cornelia.