COLBY, LAWRENCE R.

Colby, Lawrence R. – Born October 30, 1920 to Rohlin and Neva Colby in Keego Harbor, MI. He graduated from Keego Harbor School. He proudly joined the Marines to fight in World War II. His father was a veteran of World War I. Larry was in the Second Raiders Battalion, “Carlson’s Raiders” Group in the Pacific Islands. They were a self sustaining unit. He once made an amphibious jeep on one island and was elected to go to Officer Training but did not get on the plane and it went down with all lost. He was an avid motorcyclist. He was the first person to have a motorcycle on one of the Pacific Islands he was on. After the war, he came back to work as a heavy equipment mechanic. He worked for numerous companies in Detroit and one in New Jersey, and for Ryder Truck in Pontiac. He invented a gypsum pump machine and was also a welder, fabricator and great car mechanic. He would help someone and ask them not to pay him back but to help someone else instead. He was married to Helen Hart Walles on May 7, 1969. She died on October 7, 2000. He has been married to Betty J. Coy-Arvin Colby, his present wife, since November 5, 2001. She has done much to keep him going and kept the family together. Larry was a member of Heritage Baptist Church and American Legion Post #149. After a sudden illness he went to be with the Lord on Saturday night, October 10, 2009. He is survived by his wife Betty; her children, Christian (Kate) Clarke of Holly, Cathy (Ed) Ryan of Orangefield, CA, Connie Clarke of Carmel, CA, Cherie (Paul) Rashid of Pickney, Christine Palmer of Holly; other step-children are Bev (John) Lisee of Rancho Mirage, CA, Pat Gilbert of Clarkston, Deb Walles of Dallas, TX, and Jerry Walles of Reklaw, TX. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He will be missed greatly by family and friends. Visitation will be at Dryer Funeral Home, 101 First St., Holly from 2-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. The funeral service will be at the Heritage Baptist Church of Grand Blanc Wednesday, October 14, 2009 11 a.m. The Pastor Carl Petty will be officiating. Interment will be at the Pine Lake Cemetery in West Bloomfield. If you are inclined to make a donation, you can make them to the American Cancer Society or The Greater Detroit Society for the Blind.