Larry E. Abbuhl

After a brief battle with cancer, Larry Abbuhl, age 67, died on January 16, 2013 surrounded by his family and beloved pets in his home.

Predeceased by his mother, father, step-father and one brother. His survivors are: wife of 37 years Luann; daughters Kathy Steger (Gary), Tina Parsons (Gregg), Sarah Walters (Dennis) and son Jason Abbuhl (Julie); sister Carol Nabors; brother Russ Abbuhl.

Larry was not only a husband, father, grandfather, and brother, he was a true friend to those who knew him; loyal; loving and compassionate. Larry was a comedian who possessed the special gift of making others laugh. He was a man who chose to always seek the brighter side of any situation and encouraged others to do the same; a counselor who provided the wisest advice and assisted in fixing one's problems. If one desired to listen to an interesting story, Larry was the go-to guy. He always had a story to tell no matter the topic. Larry was a motivator whose personality encouraged others to put their best foot forward in any task. When one thought of the word energy, Larry Abbuhl immediately comes to mind. If he was not working, Larry was building something. He was constantly working with his hands and creating new projects. Larry was our handyman, our Mr. Fix It. He was charitable, always giving to others. He would wear out his own shoes and repair them with duct tape so that he could give to others in need.

As a Dad - he was the teacher. He is the reason his children are the individuals they have grown into. He always displayed the utmost respect for others and expected his children do the same. He instilled moral values and a positive outlook towards life. Larry motivated his kids to be the best they can be in life and to always strive for high achievement.

Larry began a career with Delta Airlines at the age of 22 and retired at age 56. He began his time with Delta cleaning lavatories and quickly moved to working on the ramp processing luggage, as well as guiding and parking planes. He was soon promoted to a Payload Specialist and after 35 years, he retired as a Senior Flight Coordinator working in the Delta tower.

Homewood Suites was Larry's last adventure. He began with the company in 2006. Since Larry loved to "tinker" this was the perfect job for him. He enjoyed working on maintenance projects and watching his labor come to fruition. He took pride in making the hotel his own by adding the "Larry Touch" to the repairs. During his tenure with Homewood Suites, he won many awards including: Employee of the Quarter, Employee of the Year, and the most coveted Hilton "Spirit Award." Larry made it a point to know all regular guests by first name and treat them like family.

Larry never met a stranger. He enjoyed speaking to everyone he came in contact with and meeting new friends. One thing is for sure, if you knew Larry, you loved Larry.