Larry Zanger

In Loving Memory of Lawrence Henry “Larry” Zanger
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Larry Zanger on October 9, 2024. A devoted father, grandfather, and beloved husband, Larry lived a life filled with love, laughter, and unwavering dedication to his family.
Born on January 26, 1945 to Bob and Betty (Venvertloh) Zanger, Larry learned the importance of faith, family, respect and work ethic. He carried those lessons with him throughout his life, and passed those values onto his children and grandchildren. As a friend who knew him well said, Larry is the definition of a good man. He did things because it was “just the right thing to do”. He enjoyed his job, he loved his family, and he supported his church.
For 59 years, he shared his life with his wife, Donna, standing by her side in both good times and hard times. They had five children and 21 grandchildren. Larry and Donna’s backyard was an active place filled with sports, and Larry was participating anytime he was home. His children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and all who knew him will forever remember his warmth, sense of humor, and quiet strength.
Larry was known for his work ethic. If there was a job that needed to get done, you wanted Larry involved. He worked 49 years as an oiler and in maintenance at Electric Wheel/CanAm/Titan Wheel. Larry had a high school education, but wanted his children to have more. When his work day was done, he would load the lawn mowers onto his truck and cut grass for hours. He used that money to pay for the Catholic education and college education that he wanted his children to have. Larry’s Catholic faith was important to him. He was an active member of St. John the Baptist Church. You would find him in his pew every Saturday night, unless a child’s or grandchild’s game required him to attend a different mass. After St. Johns closed, he was a supporting member of St. Francis Solanus. When he was no longer physically able to make it to mass, he watched the “TV Mass” every Sunday morning. He passed on his faith in God and his moral compass to his family.
When he wasn’t working or cutting grass, you would find him in the garden or at a ballgame. In his senior yearbook, Larry said his ambition was to be a farmer and his hobby was to play 4-H baseball. He had a large garden in his yard on 12th Street, and a smaller garden when he and Donna moved to Esther Avenue. Larry enjoyed his work and his garden, but his passion was baseball and softball. He played on 4H teams in high school, and played fastpitch softball after high school. He was one of the best pitchers in the Quincy area, and was known throughout the state. He often played on teams with his brothers, and he loved playing in local leagues and tournaments all around the area. When knee surgery ended his career at the age of 38 he became a devoted fan, following the teams of his children and grandchildren in a variety of sports. He also supported QND sports as a ticket taker for 35 years. He was inducted into QND’s Hall of Fame in 2019 in recognition of his years of service.
Larry leaves behind his loving wife, Donna; his children, Eric (Kathy) Zanger, Jeff (Shannon) Zanger, Michelle (Ron) Wittler, Jay Zanger, and Angie (John) Geiselman; his cherished grandchildren, Kevin, Justin, Brian, Nathan, Logan, Addison, Morgan, Djouna, Katia, Andie and Sullivan Zanger; Megan, Lucas, Elizabeth and Samantha Adams; Blake and Landon Wittler; Kennedy, Kate and Brady Geiselman. He is also survived by three brothers – Bob (Nancy), Ed, Mike (Janice) and two sisters – Mary A. (Clive) Courty and Rose (Andy) Cherry and many dear friends and extended family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Donnie and Jim “Squeak” Zanger, and his grandson Easton.
The family would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Adam Reyburn and Courtney Kruthoff NP, Amy Douglas and her crew of caregivers, Kim Schutte, Linda Hageman, and the Hospice caregivers for the excellent care they provided for Larry.