Larry Rewalt

Larry Rewalt was an extraordinary man who was a bit of a free spirit at times, yet his morals and convictions were always firmly rooted. He was a devoted father who was even a surrogate father at times as he seemed to master tough love with good old fashioned fun. Larry worked hard in order to provide for the family he treasured and was completely dedicated to whatever task was at hand, always giving 100 percent on the job. He could be crazy at times and his kids claimed that he had a mid-life crisis on more than one occasion including the time he started his new Harley-Davidson in the living room! Larry leaves us great lessons in strength, honor, and compassion that will be his lasting legacy. The decade of the fifties was a mosaic of noteworthy events that would forever alter the fabric of American culture. Nestled within that decade was the year 1957 that boasted of the premiere of Motown Records, the opening of West Side Story on Broadway, and Jackie Robinsons announcement of his plans to retire from baseball. This was a significant year as well for the family of Eugene and Alice (Windham) Rewalt since they were pleased to announce the birth of their son, Larry Joseph, on November 9th. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, Larry was raised in a blended family that included six older siblings and several younger ones. His father worked at Brunswick while his mother was at home. Larry attended local schools including Duck Lake School, Marquette Elementary, Steel Jr. High, and then Muskegon High School. Although he didnt graduate from high school, later in life he proudly earned his GED. As a young man, life took Larry in a few different directions. A relationship in high school produced a daughter named Alisha in 1975, and he was also married for a time, but the marriage later ended in divorce. These were busy years for Larry as he was usually on the go. He liked to play hockey and tended goal for a league team at the L.C. Walker Arena. Larry also liked to go to drag races in Stanton and Martin where he picked up the nickname White Flag. In later years, he used that as his handle on the CB radio airwaves. Life would never be the same for Larry after he met a young woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life. Her name was Marjorie Huffman and she was a local waitress in Muskegon. Sparks flew from the moment they met and it wasnt long before they moved in together. Larry worked in a variety of jobs in order to earn an income. For a couple of years, he ran the Candy Game with a traveling carnival operated by Wayne Wall Concessions. That job took Larry and Marjorie from Florida to Michigan but when daughter Rene was born in 1982, they decided it was time to settle down. The family of three planted roots back in Muskegon where they welcomed son Larry II into their hearts and home in 1984. With the birth of their son Luc in 1985, their family was finally complete. Larry and Marjorie made their love official on March 29, 1986. Larry found work as a maintenance supervisor for Lakeland Real Estate where his job duties included tending to all the work needed on their rental properties. He was a dedicated worker who took great pride in everything he did. Ted Havermans was his boss who also became a good friend. When Ted took time off to deal with health issues, Larry stepped in to help run the office in his absence. For a time, he and Marjorie worked security and crowd control for the Muskegon Summer Celebrations. Life in the Rewalt home was usually anything but ordinary. Larry was a great dad who was very involved in the lives of his children. He attended his boys roller hockey games and there were regular family gatherings as well. As a family, they loved to go camping and spent a lot of time at the White River Campground north of Muskegon. They lived in a big house with six bedrooms and through the years, they took in other children who were in need of some tough love to get them on the right track in life. Larry balanced that tough love with fun, too, as he was a jokester with a great sense of humor. He liked to playfully tease the kids and was even known to slip a whoopee cushion in a time or two. Larry and Marjorie liked to ride motorcycles together, heading out on the open road as often as they could. The couple was also big fans of the Muskegon hockey teams and frequently attended the Lumberjack and Fury games. In many ways, Larry was a kid at heart. His kids said he had a mid-life crisis more than once including the motorcycle in the living room episode, but also the time they moved to Florida because he was searching for something different. Not long after, they ended up coming back to Muskegon. About nine years ago, Larry began suffering with some health issues. He underwent surgery to open up his carotid arteries, and he also had heart bypass surgery. A short time later, Larrys kidneys began to fail resulting in the need for dialysis four years ago. Throughout his health challenges, Larry continued to work for as long as he could. He and his family were dealt a devastating blow this past February when doctors discovered cancer in his throat and a few other places, too. He received chemotherapy and radiation treatments and although some of the treatments were very difficult on Larry, he kept fighting for the sake of his children and grandchildren. Eventually, his body could no longer fight the war that raged against it. He drew his last breath surrounded by his loving family. Although his days numbered far too few, Larry Rewalt was a man who made each moment count. He was a fun-loving, free-spirited sort of man who sometimes went wherever the wind took him. Larry was kind and loving, someone who brought so much joy to others. He will be deeply missed and his memory forever cherished. Larry Joseph Rewalt died on Saturday, October 23, 2010. Larrys family includes his wife, Marjorie; 2 sons, Larry J. (Rebecca) Rewalt II of Muskegon & Luc Andrew (Peggy) Rewalt of Muskegon; daughters, Alisha (Jonny) Engle of Ohio & Rene (Eugene) Tice of Muskegon; 12 grandchildren, Stephen, Brandon, Mikah, Sabrena, Cameron, Nathan, Xander, Lexi, Kayde, Xavier, Peyton, Dalton; Father, Eugene (Kate) Rewalt; brothers, Jim (Terri) Weiss, Frank (Sharon) Weiss, Kenneth (Vicky) Rewalt, Randy Peters, George Peters; sisters, Peggy (Donald) Nielson, Jean (Dick) Corsi & Judy (Brent) Zarlenga. Larry was preceded in death by his mother and his sister, Sandy and brother, Steve. A service will be held on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 2:00 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home with Pastor Wally Coots officiating. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to the family.