Larry Lawhorn was born on June 1, 1954, to the late E.L. and Margaret Lawhorn of St. Charles, Missouri. Larry is survived by his wife, Debbie Lawhorn, and his children, Adam and Brett Lawhorn, of Troy, Missouri. He was also a dear brother-in-law to Beaver (Sharon) Wuelling, Kathy Clegg, Jimmy Wuelling, and Susie (Tim) Snyders. He was an uncle and great-uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Larry retired from Boeing after working there for 32 years. But his main passion in life was with the fire department as a volunteer. He volunteered with the St. Charles County Fire District for 19 years and with the Orchard Farm Fire District for 17 years. Larry was known with his fellow firefighters as being the best engineer they had ever witnessed. He would have water flowing sometimes faster than the guys were ready. During Larry’s eulogy, the Orchard Farm fire chief called Larry a hero, because he was someone who gave selflessly for the greater good of others. There were many times that Larry would drop what he was doing to go out on a call. He loved being in that driver’s seat and blaring those sirens as loud as he could.

Larry was also a member of the 4×4 Explorers Club. He loved his Dodge trucks and spending weekends with his boys and with friends, running through the mud with their off-road vehicles. When the song Mud on the Tires by Brad Paisley was played at his funeral, everyone had to chuckle, because that was Larry. The muddier he could get, the happier he was.

Larry answered his last alarm early in the morning on May 3, 2015. He suffered a heart attack while returning to the firehouse after being disregarded to a house fire. Larry and the firetruck were found in the middle of a field, where his fellow firefighter brothers performed CPR to no avail. Larry was an only child, so for many years before he got married and had his own children, the fire department was his family.

Larry has touched so many people’s lives over the years without even trying. He became a brother and a friend to everyone he met. His chief said it best: “It has been an honor to serve with you, Firefighter Lawhorn. Rest in peace, brother. We have it from here.”