- Date Of Birth: December 10, 1941
- Date Of Death: October 16, 2021
- State: Indiana
After a courageous battle with cancer and other ailments for over a decade, Larry Lee Vanderwielen (Vandy), age 79, put himself in God’s hands and let His will be done. Born December 10, 1941, in Lafayette, he married Lynne Krabbe in 1962. She preceded him in death on April 30, 2002. Lynne and Larry were both preceded in death by two children, John Albert in 1964 and Jeffrey Alan in 1968. In 2003, Larry married Judy Grenat Cornell.
Larry graduated from Jefferson High School in 1960. He attended Calvin College and then transferred to Purdue University. He received a BS degree from Purdue in 1965 and later a master’s degree of Education from Purdue in 1990. Larry was also in the ROTC and Men’s Glee Club while at Purdue
Larry began work at Logansport State Hospital in 1965. From 1966 to 1969 he was Director for the Department of Lafayette Parks and Recreation and also served as The Junior Achievement Program Manager. From 1969 to 1987, Larry was co-owner, President and Administrator of the Rensselaer Care Center. Larry sold the Care Center in 1987 and then worked as a Counselor for the Purdue Dean of Student’s Office and the School of Technology. He and his wife Lynne owned and operated Carlson Wagonlit Travel from 1992 until 2002.
Larry considered his marriages to Lynne and Judy, his children, grandchildren, and extended family to be the highlights of his life and was thankful that God blessed him so bountifully!
Larry led his life by example. He was a generous, humble, and kind man with a wonderful sense of humor. Sometimes it was a bit corny, but he always got a good laugh. Larry could often be found with a camera in his hand capturing life’s every moment. He was an avid White Sox fan, and his dream came true when he was able to witness the series-sealing win of the 2005 World Series.
Larry was a life-long Purdue backer and was a member of the John Purdue and Varsity P-Man clubs. He played baseball, basketball, and football for Jefferson High School and later pitched for Purdue University. He was a member of the first class to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Jefferson High School. Baseball was a special love of Larry’s. He lit up at any mention of the game! He was very proud of his handful of no hitters and a Pony league game where he struck out 29 batters in 12 innings pitched. One of Larry’s favorite baseball memories was pitching against Satchel Paige here in Lafayette at Loeb. Larry was invited to try out for multiple major league teams but chose to put family first and declined the offers.
Larry lived in Rensselaer and Lafayette, where he was actively involved in both communities – always striving for positive change. Some of the organizations in which Larry played a significant role were Rensselaer Rotary Club, Lafayette Daybreak Rotary Club, Little Cousin Jasper Festival, Bombers for Academic Excellence, the “Runsselaer” Athletic Club, Rensselaer High School Band Boosters, Rensselaer Jaycees, Jasper County Council on Aging, and the Tippecanoe County Mental Health Association. Larry was a long-time volunteer for Franciscan Hospice. In addition, he was an active member of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church where he served as Minister of Communion, Transportation Director for Friends and Neighbors, member of Nursing Home Ministry, and member of Serra International
Surviving are his wife, Judy; dog, Bella; a daughter Joy Roach (husband Jim) of Lafayette; daughter Jill Gray (husband Dave) of Otterbein; son Doug (wife Jody) of West Lafayette; son Adam (wife Amina), of West Lafayette; stepbrother Jason Moore (wife Linda) of Indianapolis; stepsister Becky Arbagast (husband Mike) of Carmel; stepdaughter Amy Lucas (husband Donny) of Lafayette; stepson Joel Cornell (wife Julie) of Zionsville; and stepson Chris Cornell of Lafayette. Also surviving are 18 grandchildren and 5 step grandchildren. Preceded in death are his parents John Vanderwielen and Oneta Moore McKibbin Vanderwielen.
An annual scholarship for a senior high school baseball player at Jefferson High School will be set up in Larry’s name. If you would like to contribute to this fund, you can make checks payable to Larry’s daughter, Joy Roach 715 Miami Ave., Lafayette, IN 47905
To quote Larry’s good friend, Lanny Sigo, “Vandy has crossed home plate.”
