Walter Larry Partrich

Larry was born on October 4, 1936, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Verna Mae Matthews Partrich; his father, Lawrence H. "Blue" Partrich; his infant son, Brandon Reed Partrich; and his granddaughter, Chaney Daniel "Peaches" Partrich.

Larry is survived by his wife, Barbara Reed Partrich of Columbia, South Carolina; sister, Martha Partrich Johnston of Cowarts, Alabama; and his sons, Walter L. Partrich, Jr. (Amanda), Paul McGee Partrich (Becky), and Christopher Lee Partrich (Kim), all of Columbia, South Carolina.

He is also survived by his grandchildren: Emily Frances Partrich O'Neal (Matt) of Boiling Springs, South Carolina; Lawrence McGee Partrich (Katelyn) of Columbia, South Carolina; Cameron Darby Partrich Rogers (Matthew) of Irmo, South Carolina; Scott Bryant Partrich of Sunset, South Carolina; Virginia Sheppard Partrich of Chapin, South Carolina; and his grandniece and grandnephew, Naomi Marina Rodriguez and Juan Diego Rodriguez of Columbia, South Carolina.

His great-grandchildren include Samantha Reed Partrich and Lucas Sims Partrich, children of Lawrence and Katelyn Partrich; and Henry Theodore O'Neal, son of Emily and Matt O'Neal.

Three more great-grandchildren are on the way.

During his early childhood, Larry's family lived in Duncanville, Alabama, at the home of his maternal grandparents. The family later moved to Tuscaloosa, where his father, Lawrence "Blue" Partrich, co-owned and managed Thomas Jewelry Store for thirty years. In the early 1950s, the family moved to their newly constructed home in Northport, Alabama, across the Black Warrior River from Tuscaloosa.

Larry attended Tuscaloosa County High School, where, as he would be the first to tell you, he did not spend much time studying. His father would drive him to school and watch him walk through the front door. Larry would then slip out the back door, head to the river, and retrieve the fishing pole and bait he had hidden nearby. At graduation, Larry was the last senior to receive his diploma as the entire class cheered.

After working for five years at Gulf States Paper Mill, Larry decided to give college a try. He spent a year at Livingston State Teachers College taking non-credit courses to prepare for admission to the University of Alabama. Once there, he excelled academically, earning a place on the Dean's List. He was as surprised as anyone. Larry went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

Larry served in the Alabama National Guard in the early 1960’s, where twice his unit was federalized by the president. Once by Kennedy to protect students entering the University of Alabama and once by Johnson to protect the marchers at Selma.

Larry's first professional position was with Hayes Aircraft in Birmingham, Alabama. He later worked for the Internal Revenue Service before landing what he considered his dream job with REA, auditing electric and telephone cooperatives throughout South Carolina.

After retirement from REA, Larry enjoyed working on his many “projects” with his sons and grandsons, some of which they even finished.

Larry's favorite sport was fishing. For nearly sixty years, he took his sons and grandsons fishing from their preschool days until just before the fall and injury he suffered this past November. Family weekends were often spent at his trailer on Lake Marion, one of the Santee Cooper lakes, or at Mr. Boatwright's pond, where, on one memorable trip, they averaged a fish every two minutes.

His final fishing trip was at Paul's pond. True to form, Larry caught fish and insisted that even the smallest ones not be thrown back. For Larry, fishing was about sport, camaraderie, cooking, and eating. The reward was often a fish fry with hand-cut potatoes. Cornmeal, salt, pepper, heat, and a grocery bag for mixing were all he needed.

His sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will miss his fishing stories and the excitement in his voice when the bream were on the beds near the full moon in May. The lessons, laughter, and memories made on the water will remain with them always.

Visitation will be held June 25, 2026, at Memory Hill Gardens, 2200 Skyland Blvd, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at 9:00 am, followed by a graveside service at 10:30 am.

A drop-in for friends and family will be held Sunday, June 21, 2026, at the home of Chris and Kim Partrich (104 Point De Haven Rd, Chapin, SC) from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request donations be made to:

Chaney Partrich Foundation

620 Peak St.

Chapin, SC 29036

803-979-6289