- Date Of Birth: March 19, 1935
- Date Of Death: November 9, 2021
- State: Utah
Larry Dean Bouwhuis, 86, passed away at his home on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, after a 4 ½-year battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving wife and many of his beloved offspring.
The youngest of four children, Larry was born in Ogden, Utah on March 19, 1935, to Herman Christian Bouwhuis and Luella Pearl Bybee Bouwhuis Hansen. He was raised in the Wilson area, and graduated from Weber High School in 1953. The following September, he was introduced to a young lady who he presumed to be 16 or 17 years of age. He was smitten from the start, and by the time he found out that she was only 14, it was too late. She had his heart, and he had hers. Three years after they met, Larry married his sweetheart, Patricia Terry, in the Salt Lake Temple on November 15, 1956. At the time of his death, they were six days away from celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. Larry remained devoted to Pat throughout his life.
They lived in Pittsburgh, PA, and El Paso, TX while Larry served in the Army. After his discharge in 1962, they settled in Roy, UT, where they bought the home in which they raised their family, and where he took his last breath. They had 8 children: Chet Bouwhuis (Michal Anne), Jeff Bouwhuis, Verlyne Henrie (Daron), Mike Bouwhuis (Kris), Darin Bouwhuis, Russ Bouwhuis, Tim Bouwhuis (Liz), and Jeremy Bouwhuis (Marina); 20 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren. Larry was a kind father who set an example of hard work and perseverance in the face of multiple obstacles. He was also a loving grand- and great-grandpa; his progeny will be reminiscing about grandpa’s antics for years to come.
Larry worked at Gateway Distributing, served in the U. S. Army for four years, and then worked at Hill Field for a few years before going into real estate, which he enjoyed for many years. He had the perfect personality for the real estate business. His warm, outgoing personality drew people to him, and his desire to help people find a suitable home led to a successful career that didn’t end until well into his 84th year.
Later in life he worked on and off at the IRS. He attended Stevens-Henager College while working and raising a large family. While at Stevens-Henager College, in 1976, he received a scholarship award for “State and National Achievement in the Future Business Leaders Competition”. He was rewarded with a trip to New York City for the national competition, a trip spoken of fondly for many years. He was a hard worker all his life, keeping busy supporting his family, caring for his animals, and creating projects to share with friends and loved ones. It was frustrating for him when his health forced him to slow down.
Larry was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was proud to be a member of the church, but more importantly, he was a disciple of Christ. His faith was as much a part of him as his small stature and sense of humor. As a young man, he harbored a secret desire to serve a mission for the church, but he was under the impression that a mission call came from on high, and as no such call was issued, he didn’t go. He didn’t realize that he could volunteer to serve. As a result of his lack of opportunity to share the gospel, he was overjoyed to support his children as they served, considering that to be his contribution to the missionary effort. With his outgoing, warm personality, he’d have made a stellar missionary, and in fact, on many occasions was able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people near and far. He served in many callings in the church throughout his life, but his favorite was teaching Primary. Sharing his enthusiasm for the gospel with the youth of the church filled him with joy.
In his ‘spare time’, Larry enjoyed camping, square dancing, puzzles (pieces of which we’ll be finding throughout the house for years, delightful reminders of grandpa’s hobbies) and, especially, handing out million-dollar bills to strangers. In the early 60s, he started a dinner group with a few friends that became the “Old Fogies”.
He worked diligently to provide for a large family, and always made sure we were able to have memorable experiences—yearly camping trips, vacations to Disneyland, road trips to see relatives near and far. He was supportive of his children in all that they did, taking multiple trips to faraway places to visit them wherever they lived, such as Korea, Alaska, Texas, New Hampshire, and Northern Utah.
He is survived by his wife Patricia, as well as all of his children, his grandchildren and 3 adored great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings (Chris Bouwhuis, Lorene Bullock, and Beverly Cole).
Larry’s was a life well-lived; his absence will be felt deeply by those he leaves behind.
