Lawrence William 'Larry' Ogilvie, 85
The beautiful sunset over the Pend Oreille River helped each of us to know that Lawrence had gone to be with our Savior, Jesus Christ, and others that he loved on Jan. 4, 2007. As he wished, he passed away at his home in Priest River, Idaho.
Lawrence William "Larry" Ogilvie was the patriarch of his family. His family will remember him as a loving son, brother, husband and dad. He had a wonderful sense of humor, an unassuming nature and music in his heart and a whistle on his lips that he kept throughout his life.
He was born to Clyde Francis and Ruth Luma Teller-Ogilvie in Westerville, Neb., in 1921. As a boy, he delivered the Pioneer Times to the townsfolk in Deadwood, S.D., trudging through snow. He attended Deadwood public schools and played trumpet for many years in school bands. He graduated in 1939. Then he managed a farm in St. Onge, S.D., for a year.
In 1941, he joined the U.S. Navy, stationed first at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois. Then, in Dearborn, Mich., he was a bugler. On Dec. 7, he asked for training on motor torpedo boats (P.T. boats) on the East Coast. He was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat, Squadron Nine, P.T. 162, when it was commissioned, becoming a plank owner.
Larry was a gunner's mate and saw duty in the Solomon Islands. He witnessed John F. Kennedy's P.T. Boat 109 when it was lost. Later, he was wounded in action. After release from the USN Hospital in Oakland, Calif., he served in the Receiving Station Naval Yard in Washington, D.C. He was the plank owner of the USS Saint Paul, stationed in Tokyo Bay. He observed the signing of the peace treaty on the USS Missouri on Aug. 14, 1945, ending World War II.
He was honorably discharged in 1946. He was given the Purple Heart Medal, American Theater Campaign Medal, Victory Medal, World War II; Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, three Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal and Third Fleet Unit Citation.
For more than 34 years, he worked for Crown Zellerbach Paper Company in Spokane, Wash. In 1947, he was married to Reho Lorraine McVay. They later divorced. In 1974, he married Nellie Elizabeth Carnie in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. In their retirement, they made their home in Priest River, Idaho.
He held membership in P.T. Boats, Inc., was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans since 1963, a life member of the USS St. Paul CA-73 Association and enjoyed square dancing and round dancing with the Hoodoo Valley Hoedowners and other previous clubs.
He is survived by his wife, Nell; three children, Steven Lawrence (Betty), Daniel Dean (Beata) and Jan Marie (Rod) Ogilvie; and four stepchildren, Pamela Jeanne, Steven Mitchell (Ruth) and Ronald Major Carnie, and Sharon Elizabeth Carnie (Peter) Feeley. He also is survived by two sisters in Denver, Colo., Florence Viola Stratman and Elsie Mabel (Fred) Pfister.; a sister-in-law, Lillian Mae Mayor of Arizona; two great-aunts, Letha Loise Rea Ogilvie of California and Ada Staab of Colorado; six nephews, seven nieces, 12 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous great-nephews and nieces and cousins.
Viewing will be Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, from noon to 7 p.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d'Alene. Funeral services will be held at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d'Alene at 10 a.m., followed by a military graveside service and internment at Coeur d'Alene Memorial Gardens in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday, Jan. 13.
The family appreciates Hospice, neighbors and friends for their prayers and thoughtful acts of kindness. Memorials may be made to Bonner Community Hospice, 605 N. Second Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864; VA Hospital, 4815 N. Assembly St., Spokane, Wash., 99205; Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong.
Visit Larry's online memorial and sign the guest registry at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.