Larry Abarr Obituary

Larry Day Abarr was born November 10, 1940, and left us peacefully on September 1, 2025. He was the youngest of 7 children, raised by a single mother and a pack of older siblings in Clearfield, Iowa. His mother Marietta, a cook by trade in both restaurants and the Clearfield Community school, often brought young Larry to work with her. While she kept the students fed, Larry could be found napping in the custodian's boiler room or exploring the halls of Clearfield School before he was old enough to officially attend. He truly did have the run of the place, something he never quite gave up in life.

Adventurous from the start, Larry headed out to work the wheat harvest just after high school. He never met a stranger, and wherever he went, he made friends. Montana became a landing spot for a while, where he attended barber college. This was followed by service in the U.S. Army, where he trained as a medic at the Presidio in San Francisco. It was there, while working at a blood bank, that he met Margaret (Peggy) Eiseman. They married in 1966, and eventually had two children, Leslie and Nicolas. After the military, Larry attended the City College of San Francisco to become a funeral director, later moving back to Iowa to work in this field, and then for the University of Iowa Department of Pathology. Always interested in learning, Larry eventually completed his bachelor's degree at Northwest Missouri State University, after which he wore many hats, including recruiting +medical professionals for rural areas, selling pharmaceuticals, working with medical laboratories, and even opening a furniture store. Larry and Peggy later divorced, and he returned to San Francisco for a time before eventually finding his way back the Kansas City area.

In 1998, Larry met Marilyn Miller, who became not only his wife but his best friend. Together they built a life full of food, laughter, and travel. They started two businesses together, while he delivered trucks across the country.

If you knew Larry, you knew his gift for storytelling. He had an endless supply of jokes, an unshakable curiosity about everyone he met, and always an interest in what people were having for dinner, enjoying discussing the merits of the best way to cook everything. He loved having reunions with his siblings through the years, drinking coffee around the table and making them laugh, watching the Chiefs, making time to sit in the sunshine on his deck developing his trademark tan, and enjoying a glass of good bourbon each day.

Larry is preceded in death by his mother, Marietta Abarr; brothers Cecil, Richard, Robert, and Jerry Abarr; and sisters, Phyllis Wood and Joan Freemyer. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn Abarr of Savannah, MO; his sister, Carol Lee Fisher of Lenox, IA; his daughter, Leslie Abarr Cuenca and husband David of Maryville, MO; his son, Nicolas and wife Tanya of Cedar Rapids, IA; his grandchildren, Lynne and Ian Chandler; and his great-granddaughter, Lucy Gilbert, who always made him smile.

Larry requested no memorial service. He will eventually be laid to rest with his brothers and sisters in the Clearfield, IA cemetery. No flowers or memorials are necessary, but if someone feels inclined, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The greatest tribute to Larry is to live life as the grand adventure he believed it was, laughing often, eating well, enjoying a good story, and never being afraid to try something new.

Cremation under the direction of Simplify Cremations & Funerals. Online guest book and obituary at www.simplifyfunerals.com.