Larry J. Grace, age 70, of Scandinavia, WI, formerly of Waupaca, passed away on Saturday, February 14th, 2015 at Appleton Medical Center.
He was born in Beaver Dam, WI (1944), a son of the late Roland and Sophia (Kaiser) Grace. He went to Beaver Dam High School and graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Platteville. Larry was a member of Phi Chi Epsilon and the Campus Veterans Club at Platteville. Larry served in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War. He then moved to Waupaca where he taught physics, math and applied science at Waupaca High School. He later met Joan Zielinski and they married on the final weekend of deer hunting on November 26, 1977. When Larry retired in 2001, he and Joan moved to a smaller home in Scandinavia, WI and became members of the Scandinavia Lutheran Church. Larry will be remembered by his big smile, his enthusiasm for life and for his contributions to the community. Larry loved teaching and the ability to make a difference in his students’ lives. He enjoyed giving students an appreciation for science and helping students work together to solve problems. Larry made a difference outside the classroom as well, as scorekeeper for wrestling, bus driver, and E.M.T. For 30-years Larry delighted in volunteering for the Waupaca Fire Department and completed his tenure as the Safety Officer. Volunteering in this capacity for the community was personally rewarding to Larry, knowing that every call gave him the opportunity to help fellow community members.
Larry also enjoyed the camaraderie and made lifelong friends at the fire department. Larry proudly served our country during the Vietnam War and advocated for awareness of the Vietnam War in U.S. history as a volunteer speaker on Veteran’s Day in classrooms at Waupaca High School. Larry also volunteered for the VFW in various capacities through the years. Larry was always ready with a one line joke and loved being around friends and family. On a warm summer night Larry could be found sitting around a campfire listening to the Brewer’s game or bringing music and a song to the air at family gatherings. It wasn’t unusual for Larry to get up at early hours of the morning to go fishing on the Wolf River. He appreciated time outdoors camping, fishing and hunting, and enjoyed teaching youth the skills of these hobbies. Every June, Larry would go to Canada with Romie Jungers for a week of fishing and camping (yah, heh). His signature goodbye was “Alpha Alpha Delta Two-One-Zero. All clear.” Something he picked up from his military years. Larry loved life. To describe his 70 years, one could say Larry loved family, friends and life fully.
Survivors include his wife, Joan Grace, Scandinavia, WI; son, Isaac (Brea) Grace, Onalaska, WI; grandchildren: Innis and Adaryn Grace, Onalaska, WI; brothers, Thomas (Mary) Grace, Appleton, WI; Peter (Mary) Grace, Delaware, OH; and a sister, Annette (George) Carran, Madison, WI. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorial Services will be held at Scandinavia Lutheran Church in Scandinavia at 11 a.m. on Monday, February 23, 2015, with Reverend Mark E. Sabin officiating. Interment will be held at a later date in the Central WI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, King, WI. Memorial Visitation will be held on Sunday from 4 until 8 p.m. at the Holly Funeral Home in Waupaca and on Monday, from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. The Grace family would like to thank the many people who have helped Larry cope with his health issues over the years, especially his surgeon Dr. Ballard and the staff at Appleton Medical Center, and Dr. McCausland at Ministry Health.