Obituaries : Larry Lillibridge

Larry Lillibridge, 77, of Oelwein passed away on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at Cedar Valley Hospice Home in Waterloo. Visitation will be from 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the Geilenfeld-Buehner Funeral Home in Oelwein with Military Honors beginning at 6:45 PM by the American Legion Post 9 of Oelwein. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM on Friday, January 6, 2023, at Peace Lutheran Church in Oelwein with Rev. Michael Holmen officiating. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery at Oelwein. A memorial fund has been established.Larry Don Lillibridge was born in Des Moines on March 29, 1945, to parents Harold and Dorothy (Triggiani) Lillibridge. He graduated from Oelwein High School with the class of 1963. On December 11, 1965, he was united in marriage with Jeanette Nieman at St. Peters Lutheran Church in Westgate. Larry served his country honorably in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. During his working life, Larry had been employed with Boeing in Washington, the Chicago Northwestern Railroad in Oelwein, Clinton, and Desoto, MO, then as a truck driver in Vinton.Larry, while battling a rare lung disease for more than a decade, was a "never give up" man.Larry was devoted to his wife Jeanette for 57 years, most of which was spent west of Oelwein raising their three boys. Larry enjoyed hunting, fishing, helping neighbors, and anything outdoors. Of the highest priority was family. Larry was admired by his sons for letting them become themselves and learning by trial and error. The lesson was, if you are going to have something, you need to care for it, maintain it, figure it out, and do not do it halfway. Failure was the first part of every success. Several times in the last decade Larry was not expected to survive his health issues. 19 months ago, the ICU doctor said he was not going to leave the hospital. His response to the doctor was "I am going home." Amazingly he did just that! In the last 19 months, fishing and outdoors were not much of an option but old westerns on TV brought the outdoors in. With his wife's help loading oxygen tanks in the golf cart he was able to enjoy occasional rides around their farm. In Larry's last hours he craved a steak meal. His sons made that happen with a run to a steak house. He enjoyed a ribeye with his wife and sons. Larry was also able to see and talk with his siblings before his transition. He did not give up! He left this world in the most peaceful way, and he will be loved forever!Left to celebrate Larry's life are his wife; his children: Lance (Heidi) Lillibridge of Vinton, Chad (Mindy) Lillibridge of Orion, IL., and Justin (Heather) Lillibridge of Bettendorf; his grandchildren: Tess, Ty, Max, and Marly; his siblings: Cheryl Barth of Oelwein, Tom (Kim) Lillibridge of Oelwein, Kim (John) Ruden of Oelwein, and Mike Lillibridge of Oelwein; his sister-in-law Jane Lillibridge of Littleton; and many nieces and nephews.He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Ben Lillibridge, his sister Roxanne Lillibridge, and his brother-in-law Fred Barth.