Larry Kaufman Stephens, 77, of Columbus, GA, died on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 18, at First Presbyterian Church. Visitation will follow in Johnson Hall. Rev. Danny Dieth will officiate. Mr. Stephens will be interred in a private ceremony at Parkhill Cemetery.
Larry was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on October 26, 1944. He graduated from Catholic High School for Boys in 1962. He went to University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he was a popular member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and voted most handsome. He graduated in 1966 with a BA in Business. He went on to Louisiana State University where he earned a Masters of Business Administration in 1970. After a long and successful career in the banking industry, he retired from Bank of America 1999.
Larry married Nancy Burnham of Columbus, Georgia in 1990. After retiring, Larry and Nancy moved to Ft. Myers, Florida. Larry was in his element when he was on the water. He was the captain of the ship, a role that fit him well. He was also an avid fisherman, ever hunting the wily snook in the costal waterways of South Florida.
In 2005, Larry and Nancy returned to Georgia, settling in Columbus. Larry had many hobbies and loved to curate collections of interesting and wonderful things. He was a lifetime learner and avid reader. He approached all of his interests with enthusiasm, and was passionate about vintage British sports cars. You could not miss Larry as he drove about Green Island in his Jaguar with his trusty dog Ruby in the passenger seat. He loved his adopted hometown of Columbus and taking friends and family out for a dinner cruise, exploring what was new on Lake Oliver.
He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Green Island Country Club, and the Big Eddy Club.
Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Nancy Burnham Stephens; Larry K. Stephens, Jr. (Ashley); Allison Stephens Massanelli (Tony) of Atlanta, Georgia; Laura Stephens Martin (Craig) of Memphis, Tennessee; three grandchildren, Ansley Massanelli, Lila Massanelli, and Jack Stephens; his brother Bill Stephens of Little rock, Arkansas; and mother-in-law Eleanor Thomas Burnham of Columbus, Georgia. He was predeceased by his parents Larry Allison and Joan Evelyn Kaufman Stephens and brother Joseph Chaney.
Memorials may be made to Catholic High School for Boys, 6300 Father Tribou Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205; Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia at P.O. Box 1835, Richmond Hill, Georgia 31324; or First Presbyterian Church, 1100 First Avenue, Columbus, Georgia 31901.
