Larry Ray Lubenow

Born in Edinburgh, ND to Alfred and Helen Lubenow, he grew up with strong small town Mid-western values. He loved fishing, baseball, family, and the New York Yankees. After graduating high school as the salutatorian, he attended the University of North Dakota (Go Fighting Sioux!) as a journalism major.

As a student reporter for the Grand Forks ND Herald, he secured an interview with jazz great Louis Armstrong in 1957. Larry brought up the politically touchy subject of segregation. This sparked Louis Armstrong to break his silence on the issue. In 2007, the New York Times covered the 50th anniversary of that groundbreaking civil rights era event (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/opinion/23margolick.html).

Larry was a true patriot and joined the US Army serving in Korea, Okinawa, and two tours in Vietnam where he received a Bronze Star. He was exposed to Agent Orange and a rare tropical disease in Vietnam and left the military after 10 years. Then it was on to his love of public relations (he was good at BS) and joined Carl Byoir and Associates, a large NY PR firm. He provided services for many large clients, including Honeywell, a new venture in Iran, Hallmark, the state of Ohio, and Kansas City Missouri before moving to Chicago as the manager of the regional office. In 1985 he brought his skills and experience to a local Austin Advertising company before forming his own company, Larry Lubenow & Associates. He received many journalism and industry awards, including 2 Silver Anvils for his work with Kansas City.

While serving on Okinawa, he met Vivian Greenhalgh, whose father was in the Air Force and also stationed on Okinawa. They were very happily married for almost 51 years before his passing. They had 3 children; John born on Okinawa, Julie in Colorado Springs, and Jimm in Indianapolis. He was blessed with 6 wonderful grandchildren, the joy of his life.

He loved to travel, loved his Yankees, and really loved his Longhorns. He could always be seen in burnt orange – even his wheelchair was orange. Some of his doctors even claim his blood was orange. He was a parishioner at St Thomas More Catholic church for almost 30 years and was active in several ministries until recent years due to his medical issues.

Most of all, Larry loved people. He never met a stranger – just a friend he hadn’t met yet. He would “hold court” in the back of the church on Sunday morning, greeting friends and strangers with his ever ready “Hook ‘Em.”

Larry was predeceased by his parents and his brother Wayne. He is survived by his wife Vivian who has lost her best friend of 50 years, son John and spouse Gloria, daughter Julie and spouse Jim Dunlap, and son Jimm. Also surviving are his beloved grandchildren: Morgan and Kathryn Lubenow; Mara (and boyfriend Ryan), Mason, and Maggie Demel; and Braxton Lubenow. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Rosie of Fargo, ND, several nieces and nephews, numerous cousins, his beloved dog Lady, and dear friends all over the world.

The funeral will be held Friday May 16th at 1:30 in the afternoon at St Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mobile Loaves and Fishes (https://www.donate.mlf.org/donate/ ) or the Red Cloud Indian School of Pine Ridge ND (https://www.redcloudschool.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=398)

Larry wanted his tombstone to read “I never voted for Richard Nixon” but he will be cremated and his ashes will reside in the columbarium at St Thomas More Church right below his dear friend Fred so they can talk sports forever.