Larry James Lewis

Larry James Lewis, 77, of Salem, OH, passed away peacefully at University Hospital Portage Medical Center Tuesday, July 23, 2024, of neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer.

He was born in Mansfield, OH, and spent his entire youth in Perrysville, OH, graduating from Loudonville High School in 1965. After graduation, he worked at the Air National Guard base in Mansfield and later joined the Air National Guard.

Upon being accepted into the General Motors apprenticeship program at the Fisher Body tooling plant in Kalamazoo, MI, he moved there to become a toolmaker.  After completing his apprenticeship, he moved to Salem, OH, to work at the Lordstown fabrication plant.  He brought with him his wife whom he met in Kalamazoo and married in 1969. After 33 years with General Motors, he retired in 2000 to start a second career with his wife, building the trucking company Marlar Express.  They both drove and managed a fleet, retiring in 2015. Mechanics was always Larry’s passion.  At a young age it started with coaster cars and progressed to street cars, then on to drag racing cars, trucks, show cars, ending with riding a recumbent bike on the many beautiful bike trails of Ohio. 

Larry was a wonderful, generous and loving family man. One of his greatest accomplishments was making life easy and fun for the family. A message taught to the family was “life’s problems are just small bumps in the road”.  He always carried his tools with him, and he was ready to help the family with any project. Attending the grandchildren’s events was something he greatly looked forward to.

He is survived by his wife Marie of 54 years; daughter, Nichole (Eric) Thorne of Louisville; son, Larry (Sarah) Lewis Jr. of Milford; five granddaughters, (Grandpa’s A team) Aubrey, Addy, and Acy Thorne and (Grandpa’s Stinger Bees) Brynn and Savannah Lewis, and one brother, James Lewis of Perrysville. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Norma; stepfather, Hank; a special Aunt Mable and Uncle Howard Myers, and one sister, Devon. 

There will be a family celebration of life in Perrysville, with the burial being in Greenlawn Cemetery, Perrysville, Ohio.

We thank UH Portage Medical Center’s facility and staff for their support and professionalism in caring for Larry.

Arrangements are being handled by Stark Memorial Funeral Home.

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