Larry Harper

Larry C. Harper, 82, of Soddy Daisy, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, went home to be with his Lord on Sunday, November 29, 2020 surrounded by his family at home.

Born in Brook, Indiana, Larry travelled to San Jose, California for vacation and ended up meeting and marrying (in six weeks!) the love of his life, Diane, in July 1966. They remained happily married for the next 54 years and enjoyed taking many cruises throughout their time together.

He is preceded in death by his parents, David and Myrtle Harper, and his three brothers and three sisters.

Larry is survived by his loving wife, Diane Harper; three daughters, Kate (Peter Mui) Harper of Berkeley, CA, Annette (Dave) Maxwell of Sunnyvale, CA, and Dawn (John) Ward of Soddy Daisy, TN; five grandchildren, Joshua (Amber) Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Fitzpatrick, and Angela Malato all of CA, and Abby and Allie Ward of TN; one great-grandchild, Josiah Marquardt of CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Known for wearing his signature boots and cowboy hat, Larry was always doing for others. From building custom playhouses for his daughters and granddaughters to sharing his garden bounty, Larry was a family man known for his loving heart, gentle demeanor, and of course, his punctuality. Larry was saved March 1, 1970 in San Jose, California. He became actively involved in his church through bus ministry and children’s church. A generation of young children were greatly influenced by his simple teachings and attention-grabbing Bible illustrations. He trained other children’s church teachers who still serve in churches to this day.

The most important things to him in this life were his Lord and his family. He will be greatly missed.

Due to the pandemic, the family will hold a celebration of life service in 2021.

Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 4506 Hixson Pike. (423) 531-3975