Larry L. Koeneman

Larry L Koeneman, 69, of Indianapolis passed away on December 19, 2019. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 2pm Eastern at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 526 E 52nd St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46205. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Larry’s memory may be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church Accessibility Fund or to the donor’s favorite charity.

Larry’s life traveled a weaving path from car sales to IT and computer programming to real estate development. It resulted in amazing stories and hearty laughs for multiple groups of friends with a focus on giving back to athletics in the Indianapolis community. Known to some as “Coach K” from Haverford Little League and CYO coaching days, and others as a sideline confidant, Larry and his wife, Amy, never missed a game throughout their son, Jake’s, athletic career. They continued to support Brebeuf and Wabash athletics well after Jake’s graduation.

Larry served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana chapter of Golden Gloves Boxing for 44 years. In that tenure, he sold more than $250,000 in tickets to support the organization while traveling to multiple national tournaments to coordinate team logistics. One of his favorite stories was the sound he heard the first time he saw Mike Tyson fight in the Golden Gloves tournament. He was also instrumental in coordinating the boxing portion of the 1987 Pan Am games in Indianapolis.

Larry was a proud member of the Dunbar Bear Hunters Club, successfully harvesting his final bear in 2015 with help from the entire club to get him to and from the tree. His family will forever be grateful for the time spent in the northern Wisconsin woods each September.

Through all of his activities, some of his fondest memories were formed with friends in the original turn three Snake Pit at the Indianapolis 500. The lasting legacy of gathering for Carb Day in the first stand north of the Pagoda and always looking for a more efficient route to get to and from the track for race day will endure multiple generations of Koeneman men.

On his last day, Larry understood his fate, thanked everyone in the room, shared stories, and went to sleep peacefully with dignity and honor while holding hands with Jake and Amy. It was a fitting end for a man who endured 25 years of pain to ensure his family legacy would continue.

Take the trip. Make the drive. Just remember coffee, Coors Banquet, and some homemade trail mix.