Larry was born in Pontiac, Michigan on December 10, 1934. He was the youngest child of Lynn and Lillian Hawken. He grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He met his wife, Laverne, at Sammy’s Pizzeria in 1956. They were married on Thanksgiving Day in 1957. He immediately had to report for duty in the Army for two years.
Larry worked for the Chrysler Corporation for many years. In 1980 he was transferred to Tampa, Florida. In 1989 he accepted a position with the City of Tampa Water Department. In 1999, both he and Laverne retired. He spent his retirement years helping his family with whatever was needed-whether it be fixing things, helping with the grand kids, or home renovations. He was always thankful for his wonderful family and was loved dearly by them.
Larry and Laverne had two children-Leslie and Lee. He had six grandchildren-Hollie Whitelocke (Michael), Ryan Hawken, Rebecca Johnson (Zack), Josh Campbell (Tina), Hanna Hawken, and Jake Hawken (Kylie). He was also blessed with five great grandchildren- Mason and Logan Whitelocke, Kameron and Jaycie Johnson and Cooper Campbell. He is also survived by several wonderful nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life for Larry will start at 2:00 PM on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Village Presbyterian Church located at 13115 S Village Dr. Tampa, FL. 33618.
The family would like to give a special thank you to the hospice community here in Tampa who took wonderful care of Larry in his last days.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Community Food Pantry at Village Presbyterian Church.
