Larry B. Linneman Jr.

Larry Linneman was born on January 12, 1949. His given name was Lawrence Bernard Linneman, but he was most definitely “Larry”. He was one of 8 children, born to Lawrence and Mary Lee Giannobile Linneman. He grew up in Berkeley, Missouri and attended Holy Ghost Catholic School in Berkeley. As a teen, Larry and his sister, Mary, helped care for their younger siblings while their parents worked, and this responsibility fostered a lifelong sense of commitment to take care of his loved ones.

During his years at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florissant, Larry worked at Totes Big Boy Restaurant. After graduation in 1967, he got a job with General Motors in St. Louis, where he worked on the line for the next 40 years. When an employee had questions, Larry was the man with answers, and he didn’t shy away from hard work. When faced with the possibility of being furloughed, he chose to fly to Detroit every week to keep working and support his family. He was as blue collar as they come, and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

In 1970, Larry was drafted into the Vietnam War. While overseas, he performed guard duty, strung wires for telephone poles, and charmed his way into driving the Senior Master Sergeant’s Jeep. He was very proud of his service in the Army, and loved to wear his Veteran hat in public. Once he was diagnosed with dementia and could no longer communicate easily, he carried around special cards that detailed his time in the service, so that he could continue to tell his story.

Before he left for Vietnam, Larry became a proud father. He and his first wife, Liz welcomed their son, Jeff, into the world. They had 3 boys, Jeff, Chris, and Josh, and Larry was the ultimate boy dad. Whether he was coaching or cheering from the stands, Larry made a point never to miss his boys’ games. Even if it meant rushing straight from work in his uniform, his dedication to supporting his sons never wavered. His presence was a consistent source of support. He exemplified responsibility and reliability, offering valuable, practical advice and setting an example through his actions.

Though his schedule stayed full between work and family, Larry made time for bowling leagues, beer league softball, fishing, and golf. He reserved plenty of room for visiting with friends and family over a cup of coffee or a cold beer. Doing his best to balance it all, he knew how to enjoy life without compromising his commitments to his family.

Life can be a winding road, and in the early 90's, that road led Larry to Sharon. They were married on June 10, 1994, and he found himself in a brand new role as a stepdad to Nick and Ben. He took on this new role as a steady, even-keeled force, and would only get a bit riled up when it was deserved, and with two more active boys in his life, his patience was tried more than a time or two. But overall, he was a calm, steady and dependable mentor.

As his five boys grew up and their families expanded, his capacity to spread out his love grew, too. He was Larry to most, but proudly answered to PawPaw, Grandpa, Hooey, Uncle Larry, and especially Dad. Larry and Sharon were married almost 30 years and never had a cross word. Their easy-going, selfless love for each other was another beautiful example of a life well lived, and when things unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, their bond grew even stronger as Sharon became his caregiver. After all, he was the love of her life, and she was his.

The last seven years presented immense health challenges, including dementia, Parkinson's disease, and ultimately, cancer. Although Larry’s form of dementia heavily affected his ability to speak, he never lost his ability to love, giggle, enjoy his family, and even bust out the occasional dance moves. He would still rub his hands together in anticipation and delight, especially when Sharon was cooking up something delicious in the kitchen. His affection for children and, especially babies, grew stronger, reminding us that our deepest personal connections greatly surpass the need for spoken words.

His footprint on this world was profound, yet subtle. The day-to-day life he led may not have seemed spectacular to the average person, but his quiet humility masked his true superpower. To put it simply, Larry was vanilla, but not in the halfway insulting way that it sounds. Vanilla is the best. Vanilla is awesome. You know what you are getting with vanilla. There is a reason that vanilla reigns supreme as the most popular ice cream flavor around the globe. He may not have been the latest, coolest, “look at me” flavor, but Larry was a consistent and steady force of goodness. When you add that up over a lifetime, that simplicity becomes pretty remarkable.

Larry leaves behind a wife, his beautiful cat Bear, kids, stepkids, grandkids, siblings, family, and friends who knew it was time for him to be at peace, but we all wish there were more hand rubs, boisterous outbursts of laughter, and biscuits and gravy. He left his mark on the world…….not in a way that makes national headlines, but as a positive example for those who knew him, loved him, and now celebrate him.

Simply put, the world needs more Larrys.

Larry is survived by his Wife, Sharon Linneman; Two Sons, Christopher (Amanda) Linneman, Josh (Brooke) Linneman; Two Step-Sons, Nick (Kristen) Mikulas, Ben (Merrilee) Mikulas; Eight grandchildren, Brendan Linneman, Breanna Linneman, Jayden Linneman, Keenan Linneman, Paityn Linneman, Collins Linneman, Max Huffman, Lily Mikulas; Five Sisters, Mary Post, Margaret (Tony) Schuette, Carrie Sue Linneman, Debbie Woodmansee, Sharon (Mike Noland) Roth; Two Brothers, Mike Linneman, David Linneman; Former Wife, Elizabeth Linneman; and a host of other family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his Father, Lawrence Bernard Linneman, Sr.; Mother, Mary Lee Linneman; Son, Jeff (Kim) Linneman; Grandchild, Emily Linneman; and Two Brother-In-Laws, David Post, Robert Woodmansee.

All services will take place at Newcomer St. Peters Chapel located at 837 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., St. Peters, MO 63376. Visitation will be Friday, June 7, 2024 from 9:00am until 12:00pm. A memorial service will begin at 12:00pm with interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery immediately following.

Larry's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click here to view the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Vietnam Veterans of America in Larry's honor.

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