Larry E. Ainsworth

Mr. Larry Edwin Ainsworth, age 79, of Vermontville, Mich. passed away Saturday, November 21, 2020 at The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Beloved husband of Julia and the late Lorelei (1991). Loving father of Brian (Jill) and Steven (Kelly). stepfather of Trinka Jeffery and Clifford (Kristen) Jeffery. Dearest grandfather of Luke, Maria, Kayla, Grace, Stormy, Benjamin and Jack.
Larry was born in Battle Creek, Mich. on February 8, 1941, the son of the late Edwin and Margaret. Larry was raised in Vermontville, Mich. and was a proud graduate of Vermontville High School. While in high school, Larry was a talented athlete finishing as a State Track Champion in the 1/4 mile. After completing high school, Larry continued his education, putting himself through DeVry Tech Institute in Chicago working as a bartender and in construction.
On August 10, 1966 Larry entered the United States Army where he served in the Vietnam War.  Initially, Larry’s original assignment was as a radio operator, but was recategorized as a machine gunner once the military took note of his “country boy” marksmanship. While in Vietnam, Larry was also given charge of building many of the structures of the forward communications base he was assigned to due to his construction experience while attending DeVry. Larry was a proud veteran and was honored with the Vietnam Counter Offensive II Medal, Sharpshooter Rifle Medal, National Service Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and The Purple Heart which he received after being wounded in the Tet Offensive.
When Larry returned home, he returned to General Motors where he worked for over 30 years before retiring at the age of 53. While his children were young, Larry volunteered as the varsity track coach at Maple Valley High School. His commitment to community could be seen through his dedication in assisting local law enforcement as president of the Mounted Division of the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department. Larry was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed several big game hunting adventures with his son Brian, including hunting elk in Montana and Wyoming, and nearly all of the family vacations were spent fishing or hunting.
After retiring, Larry and his beloved wife, Julia, enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, visiting The Outer Banks in North Carolina, Vermont, New Orleans, Texas, and North into California, and many other places. They also enjoyed relaxing on Rice Lake in Canada where they fished together.  Larry loved his Nashville Baptist Church family, spending time together in fellowship was something Larry always enjoyed.
Funeral Services will be held at The Daniels Funeral Home, Nashville, Mich., at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 with pastor Deano Lamphere officiating.
The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, December 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Daniels Funeral Home in Nashville.
Interment will take place immediately following the funeral service at Lakeview Cemetery in Nashville. Larry will be interned with full military honors provided by the United States Army, and the American Legion Post 45 – Hastings, Mich.
Memorial contributions may be made in Larry’s name to the Maple Valley High School track program at 11090 Nashville Highway, Vermontville, MI 49096 or the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, 1-Blue Activities, 3000 Monroe NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.
For anyone not feeling comfortable attending services at this time, the family is also planning a Celebration of Larry’s life to take place next spring/summer at an outside location when hopefully this pandemic is at bay.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Daniels Funeral Home in Nashville. For further details please visit their website at danielsfuneralhome.net.