Born: July 5, 1946 Died: December 19, 2021
Section F, Row 9, Lot 167
Larry was born in Granbury, Texas on July 5, 1946. During his early teen years, his family moved to the Longview area and he graduated from Pine Tree High School in 1964. Larry was drafted in the United States Army and served from 1966-1969. Larry was a Green Beret and served as a member of the 5th Special Forces Group “A” Team. Larry was awarded the Bronze Medal with a V-device for acts of valor in combat. He was also awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Viet-Nam Campaign Medal, Viet-Nam Service Medal, Overseas Bars, Parachute Badge and the Viet-Nam Parachute Badge which are referred to as Jump Wings. Larry also served in the National Guard from 1969-1979.
During the 1970s, Larry moved his family to North Carolina and was employed as an electrician and millwright. He worked at Celenese Corp as a fabricator, maintenance, and was a great trouble-shooter in many other areas of the business. He was an avid photographer and always had his camera with him. Larry enjoyed his fishing trips to the Outer Banks with his fishing buddies. Larry also had a soft spot for animals and there was no doubt that he loved his cats.
He made his way back to the East Texas area and soon retired. He spent most of his days with family and friends. He loved connecting with people and never met a stranger. Jokes and funny stories were intertwined with conversations. If he ever started his story with “Did I ever tell you about the time…” you were in for a good belly laugh. His loving heart was just as big as his personality. He served his country in his younger years and served veterans during retirement by transporting them to appointments, both locally and out of town. We can only imagine the conversations that went on during those trips. It was also common for him to quietly pick up the tab for law enforcement when dining out. That’s just who he was – a true servant to others. If you needed him, he was there.
Larry was preceded in death by his father, Roy H. Kelly and wife, Deborah (Dodie) Kelly. He is survived by his daughters, Tricia Kelly of Salisbury, North Carolina, Angela Kelly and her partner Matt Schnable of Boone, North Carolina, mother Lu Kelly of Longview, brother Mike Kelly and wife Susan, sisters Shannon Kelly Fleet of Avinger and Robin Alston of White Oak along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins and lifelong friend Thetta Hunter.