- Date Of Birth: August 12, 1932
- Date Of Death: February 14, 2014
- State: California
Lawrence Robert Dutter “Poppy” Born August 12, 1932 – Died February 14, 2014
Lawrence Robert Dutter passed away peacefully on Friday, February 14, 2014, at 81 years of age. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Pauline Mary (Bombay) Dutter , his children Deborah Ann Dutter and Peter Aviles, Jr. , Joseph Lawrence Dutter and his wife Jill Maureen Dutter, Diane Michelle Dutter, his nine Grandchildren. Jamie Michelle Dutter, Adam James Balanzategui, Jacob Andrew Balanzategui, Christopher Lawrence Dutter, Sydney Lyn Noelani Balanzategui, Michael Joseph Balanzategui, Jason Robert Balanzategui, Karmen Nichole Ohme and Karrie Maureen Roughgarden and his three great grandchildren Lucas James Balanzategui, Bradley Andrew Lawrence Balanzategui and Carter Jenks Roughgarden as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Larry became known as “Poppy” when his first grandchild, Jamie, was little and dubbed him as “Poppy”.
Larry was born on August 12, 1932 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Theodore Dutter and Laura (Williams) Dutter. He served in the United States Air Force as a jet mechanic during the Korean War and received an honorable discharge.
He married his wife Pauline Mary (Bombay) Dutter on February 16th, 1957 and they made their first home in the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania. In February of 1960 they moved to Azusa, California with their first child, Deborah. Their second child, Joseph and their third child, Diane, were born while Larry and Pauline were living in Azusa, California where they have lived for 49 years, in the same house.
Larry was a member of Floor Covering Local Union 1247 for 50 years. Prior to that, while living in Pennsylvania, he worked at his father’s tool and die shop and as a carpenter. He was an avid fisherman, golfer and was fascinated in aeronautics besides piloting his father’s plane. He was an excellent woodworker. He crafted a beautiful cradle and a beautiful rocking horse, both used by his grandchildren. He created a waterwheel and old wooden bridge to scale that to this day is used as decoration to the pond and waterfall he designed/built and created in their backyard.
When Larry retired he became interested in genealogy and spent a great deal of time tracing family roots, and was able to trace the family lineage all the way back into the 1600’s and had documented over 12,000 relatives in his archives. He very much enjoyed this hobby and was offered a teaching position by the Historical Society.
He was an intelligent, creative man who could accomplish anything he put his mind to and do it with perfection. Larry had a wonderful sense of humor and was always joking around and trying to make everyone around him laugh. He enjoyed teaching his children, his grandchildren and neighborhood kids funny songs and poems. He welcomed everyone into his home with a funny joke or by asking them “How’s your elbow?” – nonsensical questions or comments, just to see them smile or make them laugh. He was always teasing someone or telling jokes.
Most of all…. Larry “Poppy” was a loving husband and father and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and five brothers.
Thursday, February 20th, 2014 at 11:00am
