Anchors Aweigh...Larry P. Stevens, age 70, of Rankin, Illinois, set sail in the early morning hours of Friday September 2nd. He passed away, while resting peacefully at home, where he drew a large amount of comfort from the friends who had reached out to check on him, having his heart filled with love from his sprawling family, & having his wife by his side. Larry had battled a rare disease, scleroderma, courageously, for 6 1/2 years, & did so with inspirational strength & poise.
Larry was born on April 24th, 1952, in Danville, Illinois, he graduated from Danville High in 1970, & served a 4-year stint in the US Navy, starting in 1972. Larry married his wife, Lucy Stevens, on June 20, 1992, she survives. Through his health battles, she was his port in the storm, rock, & caregiver.
Larry’s “motley crue,” as he playfully called them at times, includes Tony Stevens (Jessica), Troy Stevens (Betsy), Candi Fulton (Lance), Rusty Shafer (Jennifer), Danny Shafer (Kristina), & Amanda Lackey (Scott). His supporting fleet also includes his 14 grandchildren, Aria, Austin, Bradyn, Brantley, Dakota, John, Kamerin, Lance Jeremy, Madisyn, Mercedes, Morgan, Payton, Rebecca, & Tiffany, along with 6 great grandchildren. The grandparent stage turned Larry into an even bigger teddy bear & he lovingly became “Papa.” Too numerous to even begin to list, are the large number of “adopted” children he acquired, inherited, or chose throughout his life & a whole brigade of lifelong friends that he held dear.
Larry is survived by his sister, Kathy York (Alan) & brother, Ron Stevens (Debbie), nephews Brad & Corey, & his niece, Marci. He was preceded in death by his Grandparents, an Aunt, his Father, & 3 Uncles, including Harold “Buddy” Hendricks, who was very influential in his life. He was also preceded by his Mother, who left an everlasting impression on him, that shaped the person he was & his zest for life.
In 1968, at the age of 16, he started working at Hendricks Contracting, alongside his Grandfather, who started the business. After his naval tour, he returned to the company, where he spent his entire career & retired from in 2019. During that tenure, he had the honor of working with 3 generations of Hendricks family ownership, Grandpa Hendricks, Uncle Buddy, & his cousin, Randy.
Civic & community involvement was a passion of Larry’s. His list is long but includes serving on the Rankin Fire Protection District for 17 years, coaching youth sports for many years, sitting on the school board, village board, township board, Lions Club, & American Legion. It is a close contest, to determine if he logged more miles on his Harley, in equipment at work, or in a vehicle driving, to make sure he was in the stands to support his kids & his grandkids, in who knows how many various events.
Cremation rites will be accorded, and a visitation will be held 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Monday, September 12, 2022, at Anderson Funeral Home 427 E. Main St. Hoopeston, IL. A memorial service will follow the visitation and will begin at 1:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Rankin Union Cemetery. Military rites will be accorded by the Cissna Park American Legion Post No. 527.
The family is requesting, in place of flowers, that you consider making a donation to the Rankin Lions Club. They will make the request to them, that the donations be applied towards the fireworks fund, for the Rankin Centennial Celebration in 2023. Larry spent many years assisting with lighting off the fireworks for that annual celebration & could sit for hours watching fireworks light up the sky.
“Your wings were ready, but our hearts were not. Fair Winds & Following Seas.”
