Larry Jay Powell

Larry Jay Powell, 78, died Friday, June 14, 2019, after a brief yet valiant battle with cancer.

Larry was born in Muskegon, MI  on October 14, 1940 to George A and Helen (Snyder) Powell.  He and his wife Ann were residents of Sun City, SC,  although they lived in many locations throughout the years.

After starting his education at an one-room schoolhouse, he graduated from North Muskegon high school.  He completed his education at the University of Michigan with a degree in Engineering,  at Central Michigan with a degree in Finance, and at York Tech with a degree in Electronics.

 He worked in the corporate world with Dow Chemical and Colt Industries, retiring at the young  age of 45. He went on to have a series of small business pursuits  - including but not limited to owning a saw mill and an electronics repair shop.  He was a handyman and restorer of old houses – while also being the family’s financial guru. Nothing was more exciting than a good negotiation!  Larry never stopped learning about anything that held his interest. He was a master of vast knowledge, always willing to share and give advice, and was an avid seeker  of both elusive ancestors as a genealogist and hidden treasures from the past with his metal detecting.  He will be remembered by his family as a mentor and advisor with a great smile, a twinkle in his eyes, and a hearty laugh.

A lover of adventures and shenanigans, Larry shared his life with his wife of 56 years, Ann (Johnson) and his daughters Tamara J Powell and Kimberly (Christopher) Newton, who will miss him dearly. To his grandson, Tavin Newton, he will always be the amazing “Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa.” His brothers, George and Greg, will remember Larry as their big brother, always willing to do all he could for them.  His step-mother, Helen (Dombrausky) Powell, will keep him in her heart as her eldest trouble-maker.

Larry thought of himself as a Pirate who, as sung by Jimmy Buffett, was “born 100 years too late.” To honor this belief, Larry's cremains will be released to the Caribbean Sea off of St. Croix USVA,  by the immediate family later this year.

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