![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Larry-Harris-pic.jpg\")
Larry was a proud and dedicated family man and the truest example of faith, compassion, and kindness. He wished to be remembered as a “DJ” – a disciple of Jesus. He always held his love of Jesus first. Next was his wife of 63 years, Sharon (Boyd), who was his lifelong love and sweetheart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Larry is also survived by his daughters, Tamali (Christopher) Pruden of Grover Hill and Lorali (Michael) Todd of Daytona Beach, Florida; his grandchildren, Ashley Pruden, Ryan (Katelyn) Todd, Devin Pruden, and Andrew (Ashley) Todd, and his great-grandchildren, Caroline, Madeline, Emmeline, and Levi Todd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Carl Harris; and sisters, Marilyn Evans, Carol Gockley, and Clara Rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Larry graduated from Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida, and went on to attend Florida State University. He had a commendable career as a professional truck driver for over 47 years for Aeroquip and USF Holland. Larry also served his community as chief deputy for Sheriff Don Thomas at the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office and worked at the Van Wert Police Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His commitment to serving others extended beyond his professional life. He was an Eagle Scout and one of the first recipients of the Boy Scout God and Country Award. Larry was a member of various Masonic organizations, the Heartland Patriots, Wesley Church of Van Wert, and was a friend of the Gideons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Known for his wit and a bit of ornery charm, he touched the lives of many throughout his life. Larry will be remembered for his selfless spirit and unwavering dedication to his Savior, his family, and community. He leaves behind a legacy of love, service, and laughter – guiding those who knew him to live their lives with the same kindness and integrity he embodied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 11, at Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home and Crematory, Van Wert, with Rev. Josh Tissot and Rev. Steve Haddix officiating. Burial will immediately follow at Woodland Cemetery in Van Wert. Visitation will be held from 12-2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Preferred memorials: Community Health Professionals-Hospice or Wesley Church of Van Wert.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Larry L. Harris, a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend, entered the kingdom of heaven on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the age of 83. He was born on July 29, 1942, to Arthur Leroy “Roy” and Ireta (Miller) Harris, in Paulding. Larry was a proud and dedicated family man and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-205691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-obituaries"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-16 01:03:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205693,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205691\/revisions\/205693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}