Larry E. King

Funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, November 6 at Central Church of Christ in Bryan. Interment will follow with military honors at Kurten Cemetery.

Larry was born on July 3, 1948 in Osborn, MO. He graduated from Cameron R-1 High School in 1966 and enlisted in the US Army in 1967. He was assigned to Company A, 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, of the 199th Infantry Brigade based in Long Binh, Vietnam. He entered Vietnam just before the TET Offensive and stayed under constant enemy ground combat, for over 30 days straight, earning him a Combat Infantry Badge. During his Vietnam assignment, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service for his profound courage in critical combat situations and received the Purple Heart on January 25, 1968 for wounds received in action. He was honorably discharged from the US Army, active duty, on May 2, 1969 and returned home to work for the US Postal Service as a city and rural carrier in Cameron, MO for the next 12 years.

During his time at the postal service, he also started the Civil Air Patrol Squadron, in Cameron, where he was the commander for 3 years. After leaving the post office, he accepted a full-time position in the recruiting office at the US Navy Reserve in St. Joseph, MO. He detached from the recruiting command in 1983 and reported to Commander Naval Reserve Force for temporary active duty until June, 1987. During his time in the Navy, he was stationed in New Orleans, LA; Norfolk, VA; Charleston, SC; Jacksonville, FL; USS Coral Sea; USS Simon Lake; and La Maddalena, Italy as a storekeeper. His final and most loved duty station was Naples, Italy, serving for the Allied Joint Force Command, a NATO military command base. Larry retired from military service on March 1, 2005. During his time in the military, he earned 44 armed forces awards, which included distinguished awards such as the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Silver Star, Navy Combat Action Ribbon, Army Good Conduct Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal with Four Bronze Stars, Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Double Bronze Star, and many unit commendations. He served his country through 3 wars: the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and the Global War on Terrorism. He loved his country and took pride in his service, continuing it years later as an active member of the American Legion Earl Graham Post 159.

After retirement, Larry moved to Texas to be closer to his children and grandchildren. With a servant’s heart, he quickly found ways to help in the community by serving meals at The Mission, delivering turkeys to the homeless for Thanksgiving, visiting nursing homes, and making numerous cameo appearances as Santa during the Christmas season. He made friends with everyone he met and easily built meaningful relationships with those around him. One friendship soon turned into something he never expected as he fell in love with Marolyn Wyatt, of Bryan, TX. The two were happily married on July 5, 2014 and blended life, faith, and families with love. Larry was a member of Central Church of Christ where he recently reaffirmed his faith by being baptized.

Larry is survived by his wife, Marolyn; his children, Bradley King and wife, Laura, of Bryan; and Brett King and wife, Ashley, of Burleson; his step-children, Kelly McLaughlin of Montgomery; Don Wyatt and wife, Debbie, of Huntsville; Bradley Wyatt and wife, Teresa, of Bryan; and Clay Wyatt and wife, Brooke, of Bryan; grandchildren, Kennady, Alleea, Olivia, Kayla, Noah, Kyler, Mercedes, Bailey, Boone, Coleman, Audie, Josie, Dominic, Amos, Cody, Mandy, and Lindy; siblings, Joann Chesney and husband, Arlin, of Lebanon, MO; Linden King and wife, Sharron, of Kidder, MO; and Gayla McNeil of Hamilton, MO; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Martha King, of Cameron, MO; siblings, Kenneth King, Lowell King, and Donna Jones, all of Cameron, MO; step-son, Michael Wyatt, of Bryan; and grandson, Nathan King, of Bryan.