Larry Paul Zabel

month fight against multiple myeloma, with family by his side. Larry loved his wife of 42 years,

Debbie, and together they raised two wonderful daughters, Cassandra and Megan. Larry’s other love

was being out in his boat. He was an avid fisherman, whether he caught a fish or not, he was happy

just being out on the water. He was sure to share his passion for fishing with everyone he met.

Larry was born on October 9, 1947, in Eureka, California to Julius George and Frances Elizabeth

(Cajune) Zabel. After spending the early part of his childhood in San Jose, California, the family

moved to Tuolumne County, California where they lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains and later in

nearby Twain Harte. After graduating from San Jose State University, Larry moved to Portland,

Oregon in 1971.

Larry met Debbie Warneke in 1977 and they were married on September 10, 1983 in White Salmon,

Washington. They spent their early years together volunteering with the Mt. Hood Ski Patrol. Larry

was an active part of the volunteer ski patrol for almost 20 years and loved spending his weekends

on the mountain (since it wasn’t fishing season). They raised their daughters in a home Larry and his

father built together. After 20+ years as a teamster working in grocery warehouses, Larry retired and

started a second career as a school bus driver. He enjoyed driving the kids around, to the

surprise of his family!

Larry had many non-fishing hobbies including skiing, golfing, hunting and flying small aircraft. He

loved football, especially the San Francisco 49ers and the Oregon State Beavers; he attended many

dad’s weekend Beavers games with his daughters. In retirement, Larry enjoyed traveling with his wife,

visiting many national parks around the country. Larry was also passionate about nature and fish

conservation projects and enjoyed working on these projects through his membership in the Coastal

Conservation Association. In the last several years, Larry also took great pride in helping his two

daughters complete home improvement projects - both big and small!

Larry is survived by his wife, Debbie; daughters, Cassandra & Megan; brother, Allan (Laurie); sister,

Wanda (Richard); numerous other relatives and many wonderful friends. He was preceded in death by

his parents.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 1st, 2025, along his beloved Columbia

River.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Coastal Conservation Association or the Mt. Hood Ski

Patrol in Larry’s honor.