Larry A Furasek

Larry was born in Wahoo, Nebraska to Adolph and Alice Furasek on August 6, 1954. He was the youngest of 3 with his brother Richard (Rich) and sister Patricia (Pat). They grew up on a 160 acre farm in Touhy, Nebraska, raising crops and livestock. Life on the farm was tough at times with all the chores and responsibilities which started at a young age, but he loved every bit of it. He was so proud of where he came from and spoke fondly of the memories he and his siblings created with their parents, spending most of their “free time” with family and friends on neighboring farms. What they may have lacked in monetary riches, they more than made up for by cultivating relationships with one another that allowed them to get through anything together. As a Catholic family heavily involved in church life there were lessons of love, faith, respect and sacrifice that would shape the way he would lead his life and eventually raise his family.

Soon after he graduated from Bishop Neumann High School in 1972, he moved to Lincoln and took a job working for Ace Hardware in a shipping and receiving center where he would work for nearly 34 years. He was known amongst his coworkers as a dependable and fun-loving guy, always willing to work late to get things done right. He played softball on Ace’s company team in Lincoln which satisfied his inner child who grew up playing town ball with his brother Rich. Before the warehouse closed in the early 2000’s he already had a job lined up working for Novartis in a similar role but had to work the third shift for the first 5 years he was employed there. Never once did he complain about those tough hours and worked there for 14 years until retirement.

He met his wife, Carol Ann Wagner while he was working part time at one of ACE’s retail stores. There he met Delores (Dee) Wagner, his future mother-in-law. Dee was impressed with his work ethic paired with his kind and gentle nature. Once she realized he was also a devout Catholic, she devised a scheme to make sure he met her daughter Carol. Dee bought a ladder that she didn’t need and had Carol return it for her when Larry was working, knowing he would have to help her carry it back in. A week later, he was invited to an anniversary party at Dee's home and the rest, as they say, is history.

They married on May 6, 1978. They had 3 children, Michelle Renee, Michael Andrew, and Mark Patrick. Larry and Carol were more than husband and wife, they were best friends. One was rarely seen without the other and that is how they preferred it. Raising us to put God and our Catholic faith as the highest priority meant they regularly attended mass as a family, confession and learned to pray and give thanks for each day. Larry was always coaching or helping coach the kids in sports and other activities and rarely missed a game or event. He encouraged all of his children to take school seriously and helped put them each through Nebraska Wesleyan, one of his most cherished accomplishments. Although he supported his children in most things in life, it was impossible for them to win an argument with their mom because Larry was steadfast in taking her side.

Larry loved little more than being a grandpa of 10. It would be an understatement to say that he absolutely adored all of them and they, him. Austin, Hannah, Callie, Luke, Layla, Ben, Sam, Lennon, Frankie and Nora became his world. He was an active participant in their daily lives. He would never say no when asked to babysit, take them somewhere or pick them up. He bought a minivan in retirement to do just that. He could be found playing ball, picking vegetables and running through sprinklers with them in the summer and would set up their kiddie pool 48 hours in advance to ensure the water would be warm. He went to nearly every game, concert and play, always complimenting them on how well they had done.

Outside of his faith and family, one of his passions was his vegetable garden. His love for tending to the land to grow food for his family was driven by his memories of the farm. From cucumbers to beets, radish and tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini, kale and peppers, not to mention the jars of pickles and fresh salsa, he did it all. When we got to the end of the season, we were all about 80% cucumber but each December, we would all be grumbling about store-bought vegetables just not being as good as his and he would begin planning next years crop, calling me anytime it rained to compare rain gauges.

Larry was a huge Nebraska Cornhusker fan. He noted once that he had seen 5 national championships for football in his lifetime and that people from Iowa probably wouldn’t see one (It’s possible he didn't say that and I am pointing it out for him now, sorry Iowa). He loved getting season tickets for Nebraska football, men’s and women’s basketball. He was a loyal fan of the teams and took personal offense to the officials who dared to call a penalty or foul against his beloved scarlet and cream. He routinely called into 93.7 the ticket FM afterparty show to give his insights to the masses. He loved taking Carol to games, but he also made sure each child and grandchild would join him for a special time with him one-on-one. Later in life he was coaxed by Carol into becoming a ravenous KC Chiefs and Golden State Warrior fan. He and Carol were able to see both play in person which were experiences they would cherish.

Larry was a humble man with a modest disposition who led a life of service to his family. He used every ounce of his energy and talents to bring love and joy to those around him. He will never get enough credit for what he did and how he did it; Always faithful to God, devoted to his family, and so kind and generous with all the gifts God gave him while never asking for anything in return. All who were blessed to know him understand what an extraordinary man he was.

A visitation for Larry will be held Monday, April 15, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, 6800 S 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68512. A rosary will occur Monday, April 15, 2024 at 6:00 PM, 6800 S 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68512. A mass of resurrection will occur Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 10:30 AM at St Peter's Catholic Church, 4500 Duxhall Drive, Lincoln, NE. For more information go to www.lincolnfh.com. Memorials to the family for future designation.