Lawrence “Larry” Colbruno

January 27, 1933-July 3, 2020

Lawrence John “Larry” Colbruno died on July 3, 2020 from congestive heart failure and pneumonia.

Larry was born in Lafayette, Colorado in 1933, the son of John Colbruno, an Italian coal miner, and Patricia Chacon, an immigrant from Mexico. His birth father was never present in his life and he said that Guido Marcelli, an Oakland restaurateur, was the closest thing he ever had to a real father, but he tragically died at 49. His mother often worked two or three jobs to support them after Guido’s death. iith his mother he moved to Berkeley and Stockton, California where he graduated from Stockton High School. He joined the United States Air Force at the onset of the Korean iar and was assigned to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. His 20 year military career took him to Roswell, Travis, Lowry, Fort Sam Houston, Edwards, Rhein-Main, Evreux and Scott Air Force bases. He later served at Phù Cát

Air Base and Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam as a supply sergeant and medical evacuation flight technician, the latter being his favorite assignment of his military career.

ihile assigned to the 26th Air Division in Long Island, New York he met and married Hannaleise (Lisa) Geub from Bad Godesberg, Germany, who he said bedazzled him with her charming accent. Their 54year marriage produced his beloved daughter Patricia and son Michael, who he joked turned out to be “a pretty good kid.” After retiring from the military, the family settled in Denver and then Aurora, Colorado. In Colorado, he worked for twenty years in Psychiatry and Physical Therapy at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Denver, Colorado. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing from his boat, wood carving, watching a good football game, painting and camping in the beautiful Rocky Mountains.

In 2000, Lisa and Larry moved to Spring Hill, Florida, where he continued his love of fishing and boating, as well as riding his new Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle. After Lisa passed away in 2010, he moved to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Mississippi. He also met Magnolia State native Donna Brennan, who he married and spent the remainder of his life with. Donna lovingly cared for him during his recent health challenges.

Larry will be remembered as a man who led by example. He was always the first to help a neighbor, was kind to everyone who he met, loved teaching various crafts and skills and giggled at his own jokes.

Besides Donna, his children and his son-in-laws Sepp Zink and Alex Paul, he is survived by four grandchildren, Lilian Berger (Misha), Christian, Stephan (Brigitte) and Eric Zink (Theres), six great-grandchildren, Donna’s children Felia, Rob, Stefanie, Lawrence, Reneé, John and their kids, as well as his half-siblings, twins Jerry Colbruno and Judy Coffman, Joanne Colbruno and Nancie Snyder. Reconnecting with his half-siblings, after being estranged for much of their lives, was one of the great joys of his life.