one laugh. He had friends all over the U.S and had many adopted kids, he never turned one away. He never minded being "volun-told" by his wife to do one of her events or to help out her single girlfriends as a rent a hubby and he always got the last word "yes, dear" in an argument. His favorite sayings were; "Breathe in, breathe out, move on" and "Improvise and overcome!" He will be dearly missed by all who knew him! He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Janie Boldt, their children, Nikki McGinnis and Steven (Nicole) Land; granddaughters, Rylee "Buggy" Hall, Kyla "Doodle" McGinnis, Savannah "Banana" Land; his sister, Terri Levitan, her husband David and their son Miles; as well as his beloved pets, Bella, Squeakers and Bear. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. A Celebration of Larry's life will be held on Sunday June 10, 2018 at 1:00pm at the Port Charlotte Moose Lodge, 3462 Loveland Blvd, Port Charlotte, FL 33980. Thank you to the wonderful care from the Cardiac ICU nurses, Brianna, Alanna, Kelley and especially Wayne, you were a rock for us! Thank you to our Hospice Nurse Cathy, you made a brutal week a little more bearable. A Tribute to Larry by his beloved wife Janie... In September of 1981, a red headed geeky guy was introduced to a blue eyed be speckled girl. He was 16 and she was 14 and he knew this would be his future wife. Even though it took her two husbands and two kids later to figure out she needed her best friend with "surgically inserted sponges for shoulders" just for her. They became a family in 1990 with a lot of trial and error on Larry's part on the whole parenting thing. But just like everything he did, it was researched for the knowledge and executed to the fullest. He loved teaching them new things and experiencing the world through their eyes. Unwavering in his love and support of them in anything. Over the next 28 years, the family has enjoyed making many memories on trips and just everyday life. Larry and Janie always had an open door policy to any family friends and "adoptive kids" (friends of their children). Everyone loved his cooking and Janie's parties. Every holiday and birthday was special but Halloween and Christmas was our favorites. Our house was always the most decorated. He would build a coffin out of cardboard for our yard for Halloween. He would put up lights outside for Christmas, while I decorated inside. He always had to have his Grinch out. He would like to act like one, but always spoiled us. He loved the water and anything to do with surf, sand and Jimmy Buffett. You could always find him with a book, usually reading two books and a magazine at the same time. He started working at B&R Color in automotive paint right out of high school and was there for many years, acquiring many friends. He moved over to Glass Doctor just before Hurricane Charley hit town. He later became the cook at the Moose Lodge #2121 for three years where his list of friends grew even more. He never minded being asked to help anyone. He had recently started as a cook at the Douglas T Jacobson Nursing Home. He could make edible food out of nothing. He even got his family hooked on putting mustard on their pizza. When we traveled, we always carried a travel size bottle of mustard. Larry would just break out into a song or Shakespeare or a scene from a Star Trek episode. "Hee Hee Haw Haw off to the funny farm with me!" After the kids had become adults, Larry and Janie found their shared love of a motorcycle from their friend Ariel. They spent many an hour with just the two of them or their Moose Riders. Many a fun days was had riding and raising money for charity. Larry loved life but he loved his family with the same fervor. His big sister Terri whom he would torture to no end (especially with his nutter butter breath). He learned his cooking skills from his grandmothers. The sound of his mother giggling at his many jokes or enthralling stories. His father set the standards and sense of responsibility Larry always strived to achieve. He always joked his nephew Miles was like him without the red hair. His granddaughters, Rylee, Kyla and Savannah were a bonus for him. He would play, encourage and aggravate to see if he could get a rise out of MiMi. He will always be their Poppy. Larry, you will always be loved, you will always be remembered and forever missed. "Goodnight, sweet prince and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest".
Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Homes & Cremation Services
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
More obituaries