Lawrence Falbe

Lawrence Falbe was full of life and love for those around him each and every day. He knew how to put in a hard days work, yet he knew how to balance his work with having fun too. Larry was a man of great strength, integrity, and faith who embraced each challenge that came his way, using it as an opportunity to conquer that which seemed to stand in his way. The 1920s were a time of great prosperity within our nation as we were at peace as a nation and the economy was booming. Babe Ruth made baseball popular by making it exciting, hitting more home runs than anyone in history. Also enjoying this exciting time was a couple from Muskegon, Michigan, Fred and Ida Mae (Chandonette) Falbe, who were eagerly anticipating the birth of their tenth child. They were indeed blessed on March 31, 1929, with the healthy birth of their son, Lawrence Anthony. As one of what would be 12 children in his family, Larry, as he came to be called, grew up in Muskegon where his father supported his family as a machinist at Muskegon Screw Works while his mother stayed at home to care for the household and the children. Larry developed a liking for baseball at an early age as he was often found playing both baseball and football with the neighborhood boys. Larry was raised in a home that was rooted deeply in the Catholic faith as they attended St. Jeans Catholic Church as a family and Larry attended St. Jeans Catholic School as well. Shortly after Larry was born, our country became gripped by the Great Depression, affecting many families nationwide for the next decade, and Larrys family was no exception. As a result, he started working at a young age and one of his first jobs was shining shoes with his buddy, Jerry Robilard, at Jimmy Afendouliss store. After completing his education, Larry remained in the workplace finding work at Sealed Power for what would end up being the remainder of his career. By June of 1950, North and South Korea began engaging in hostilities and the United States and its allies quickly came to the aid of South Korea. Larry answered the call to serve his country during this time, setting his life aside when he joined the United States Air Force. During the war, he supported the efforts stateside through his work as a clerk. Also of great significance during this time was a fateful introduction that would forever change the course of Larrys life. One of Larrys brothers was dating a young woman who happened to be the niece of a delightful gal whom Larry was smitten with from the moment they were introduced. Her name was Eliza Jean Wilburn and when she met Larry through their mutual family members, it was love at first sight. A romance quickly blossomed between Larry and Jean, as she was always called, and they subsequently fell deeply in love. They were united in marriage on July 12, 1952, at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Muskegon. Upon his discharge from the Armed Forces, Larry returned to work at Sealed Power where he was a chrome plate operator and a member of the associated union. The newlyweds settled into a house on Mill Iron Road where they were soon blessed with three children: Ed, in 1953, Katherine, in 1964, and Julie, in 1969. After a time, their family settled into a home on Dangl Road on the east side of Muskegon near the neighborhood where Jean grew up. Larry was able to successfully balance working with being involved with his family as well. When Ed was young, Larry worked third shift, allowing him to make precious memories with his son as Ed recalls his father taking him down to the pier at Lake Michigan where they went perch fishing when he got home from work. As a family, they made many memories when they went camping, an activity everyone enjoyed. Usually, they camped in a truck and camper, but sometimes with a pop-up. Often they went camping at parks in the Bitley area, located within Manistee National Forest, or at times they took trips to Alpena where they visited relatives. Larry combined his love for both baseball and his children when he served as the third base coach for his daughter Julies softball team. After he retired in 1992, Larry and Jean were able to do some more traveling as evidenced by the trips they took to Las Vegas eleven years in a row with a good friend and his wife from Sealed Power. While there, Larry enjoyed the shows (and the showgirls) more than he did the gambling. Larry and Jean also took trips out east, to the Smokey Mountains and also to Florida. Plus, Larry always had a great time when he was fishing with his good friends, Bud Jones and Jack Grimes. Larry was truly unique and will be remembered as such by his numerous family members and friends. Larry was active at St. Thomas Catholic Church where he served as an usher and a Eucharistic minister and he was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a smoker for the majority of his life and was usually found with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, even while he was coaching third base. Eventually, his years of smoking combined with his work in the factory took their toll on Larrys health. He suffered from lung cancer, melanoma, and heart failure for the past ten years, however, with strength and determination, he fought against these challenges for quite some time. He and Jean eventually settled into a mobile home in the same area where they had always lived. Their son, Ed, always made sure that their grass got cut and Larry enjoyed keeping a watchful eye out, making sure it was done just so! . And for the last six month's his daughter Kathy was wonderful help in taking care of her father. Larry Falbe was a remarkable man with a strong spirit and a tender heart, especially when it came to his family. He valiantly served his country during a time of need and was a dedicated employee for 40 years who also enjoyed relaxing in the great outdoors. Larry will be truly missed and warmly remembered. Lawrence Falbe died on Tuesday June 9, 2009. Larrys family includes his wife, Jean; son, Ed (Diane) Falbe of Muskegon; daughters, Katherine (Hal) Satterfield of Muskegon, Julie (Mark) Jalovec of Holton; grandchildren, Angie (Terry Bigham) Falbe, Bean (Heidi Neiser) Falbe, Racheal Palmer, Jordyn & Jake Jalovec, Seth & Laura Satterfield; great grandson, Bryce Falbe; sister, Beatrice (Bill) Freeman of Muskegon; many nieces & nephews; good friends, Bud Jones, Loris & Jack Grime, Carol Ream. He was preceded in death by five brothers and five sisters. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2009, 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church with Fr. Phil Witkowski officiating. Interment at Egelston Township Cemetery. Visit with Larrys family on Friday, 1-3 & 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home Muskegon location Muskegon, MI, with a Rosary Service at 7:30 p.m. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you can leave a favorite memory or make a memorial contribution to VNS Hospice.