Obituary for Larry Lee Pearce
Larry Lee Pearce, 83 of Gardner, Kansas entered into the Lord’s arms January 3, 2022 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Visitation will be 11:00 am Friday, February 11, 2022 at Bruce funeral home, 106 S Center Gardner, Kansas with a Funeral Service to follow at 1:00 pm. Burial will be at Gardner Cemetery, Gardner, Kansas. Lunch to follow for family and friends at the Warren Place Venue 136 E. Warren St. Gardner, Kansas. Memorial Contributions may be made to Pets for Life, 7240 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, Missouri, 64114 or Mission Driven Goods, A long term Pet Shelter, P.O. Box 2658 Mission, Kansas 66201. Condolences may be left at www.brucefuneralhome.com.
Larry was born during a snowstorm to Arthur and Helen Snell Pearce on April 10, 1938. The county had to be called to plow the road in order for the doctor to be able to attend the delivery. Larry grew up on a farm south of Gardner and attended Gardner schools. In high school he played football and ran track. He was part of the football team that won their conference in 1954 and the track team that won the state championship during his high school years. He was an outstanding athlete with many honors. Larry graduated Gardner High School, he was offered a scholarship by Baker University to play football but turned it down much to his mother’s chagrin. He started his working life at the Rock Island Railroad where he worked for 10 years before moving on to Cramer Products for another 10 years as their maintenance man. While employed there he invented and made a manufacturing machine that was used in the plant for many years to follow. He was then offered a job as the plant manager for Veterinary Labs that he truly enjoyed. During his time at Cramer Products, he and his friend and partner Marion Kramer built a carwash and gas station in Gardner. They went on to buy and build car washes in Olathe and Spring Hill. Later they then built the L & M Tire Center in Gardner that still stands as Big O Tires. In the early 80’s he started L & M Oil Company with his son-in-law, Dan Mayberry where they had a small fleet of oil tanker trucks and delivered fuel to convenience stores in Kansas and Missouri. In 1982, he and his wife Donna built Dee’s Mini Mart in Edgerton, Kansas and operated it for almost 20 years until they decided to retire. Larry was a true entrepreneur as he built, bought and sold businesses and real estate over his lifetime. He bought his first house when he and his future wife were engaged and continued buying and selling as well as renovating houses into rentals to this day. High school students would interview him for one of their classes when they were studying business and learning about entrepreneurship.
He and his wife Donna traveled the world over the years. They traveled with friends and family to many European Countries, to China, Russia, Hawaii, Alaska, Nordic countries, Cruises and many Caribbean Islands. Larry above all else loved his family. He was a wonderful son to his parents, a devoted husband to his wife Donna of 62 years. A wonderful and loving dad to his daughters and grandchildren and last but certainly not least an amazing friend who was loved by so many. For the last 5 years his constant companion and friend was his dog Barron. If you saw Larry out and about, you almost always saw Barron riding shotgun. Larry will be missed by his family and friends for his compassion, wisdom, love and delight in living every day to the fullest. If Larry could have planned his last days on earth they would be just as they were. He was surrounded by family with fun, laughter and warm sunny days.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Helen Pearce, brother, Ronald Pearce, son- in -law, Dan Mayberry and brother-in-law James Shaffer. He is survived by wife, Donna Dunlap Pearce, daughters Connie Mayberry and Susan Pearce of Gardner. Grandchildren, Alissa Mayberry of Honey Creek, Iowa, Summer Mayberry and Garrett Glover both of Gardner.
Larry was born during a snowstorm to Arthur and Helen Snell Pearce on April 10, 1938. The county had to be called to plow the road in order for the doctor to be able to attend the delivery. Larry grew up on a farm south of Gardner and attended Gardner schools. In high school he played football and ran track. He was part of the football team that won their conference in 1954 and the track team that won the state championship during his high school years. He was an outstanding athlete with many honors. Larry graduated Gardner High School, he was offered a scholarship by Baker University to play football but turned it down much to his mother’s chagrin. He started his working life at the Rock Island Railroad where he worked for 10 years before moving on to Cramer Products for another 10 years as their maintenance man. While employed there he invented and made a manufacturing machine that was used in the plant for many years to follow. He was then offered a job as the plant manager for Veterinary Labs that he truly enjoyed. During his time at Cramer Products, he and his friend and partner Marion Kramer built a carwash and gas station in Gardner. They went on to buy and build car washes in Olathe and Spring Hill. Later they then built the L & M Tire Center in Gardner that still stands as Big O Tires. In the early 80’s he started L & M Oil Company with his son-in-law, Dan Mayberry where they had a small fleet of oil tanker trucks and delivered fuel to convenience stores in Kansas and Missouri. In 1982, he and his wife Donna built Dee’s Mini Mart in Edgerton, Kansas and operated it for almost 20 years until they decided to retire. Larry was a true entrepreneur as he built, bought and sold businesses and real estate over his lifetime. He bought his first house when he and his future wife were engaged and continued buying and selling as well as renovating houses into rentals to this day. High school students would interview him for one of their classes when they were studying business and learning about entrepreneurship.
He and his wife Donna traveled the world over the years. They traveled with friends and family to many European Countries, to China, Russia, Hawaii, Alaska, Nordic countries, Cruises and many Caribbean Islands. Larry above all else loved his family. He was a wonderful son to his parents, a devoted husband to his wife Donna of 62 years. A wonderful and loving dad to his daughters and grandchildren and last but certainly not least an amazing friend who was loved by so many. For the last 5 years his constant companion and friend was his dog Barron. If you saw Larry out and about, you almost always saw Barron riding shotgun. Larry will be missed by his family and friends for his compassion, wisdom, love and delight in living every day to the fullest. If Larry could have planned his last days on earth they would be just as they were. He was surrounded by family with fun, laughter and warm sunny days.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Helen Pearce, brother, Ronald Pearce, son- in -law, Dan Mayberry and brother-in-law James Shaffer. He is survived by wife, Donna Dunlap Pearce, daughters Connie Mayberry and Susan Pearce of Gardner. Grandchildren, Alissa Mayberry of Honey Creek, Iowa, Summer Mayberry and Garrett Glover both of Gardner.