- Date Of Birth: March 19, 1942
- Date Of Death: August 7, 2018
- State: Michigan
This is the story of Larry Conrad Gilles. Larry was a proud, hard-working man who was always quick with a joke or smart remark and will be missed by everyone who knew him. Larry’s story starts on March 19, 1942. The youngest child of Ardath and Conrad Gilles, Larry spent his childhood on Donahue beach, working at the Wenona Beach Amusement Park and causing trouble like all young boys do. He graduated from TL Handy High School in 1960 and enlisted in the United State Navy where he served on the USS Little Rock and received a Good Conduct Medal and a National Defense Medal. He was proud of his service and had to fly the largest American flag on the beach (bigger than his daughters’ bedrooms in their family home)!
On April 26, 1969 he married the love his life, Betty L. Valley. They lived an exciting, happy life, with lots of fun memories we all love to hear… well, the ones they can remember. Betty survives him, along with three children, Tracy Gilles Koch (Scott Parker), Rebecca (Larry) Peters, Matthew Gilles (Wendy Rau). He was loved and cherished by his grandchildren, Payten and Raegan Koch, Brendan, Nicklas and Addison Peters, and Kingston Gilles. If you ever talked to him about those kids, you could see him beam with pride. Also surviving is his sister Judy LaRose, sisters-in-law Dot, Bev and Sharon, and several nieces and nephews.
After retiring from the Appraisal Department at TCF Bank he started Gilles Appraisal Service where he worked independently for 10 years. When he finally retired, he could be found at Castaways or the Moose Lodge, enjoying time with his friends and family who happen to drop in. Larry always had a refrigerator full of spirits and was happy to share them, along with the view from their front yard. We had to say goodbye to Larry on Tuesday, August 7th, 2018. Welcoming him to heaven are his parents, his father-in-law Raymond Valley, mother and step father-in-law, Estelle and Bernard Petrusinski.
