Larry F. Willis

Larry F. Willis, 79, of Bennington, Nebraska, formerly of Grand Island, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at Ridgewood Assisted Living in Bennington.



Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Friday, January 29th at First Christian Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Julie Western will officiate. The funeral services will be available to view from a Facebook Live page set up for the event: https://fb.me/e/3mi6afIub Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.



Visitation will be from 11:00 AM Friday until service time at 1:00 PM at First Christian Church.



Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the Lincoln Children’s Zoo.



Larry Franz Willis was born January 15, 1942, at Grand Island, NE to Paul and Clara (Weick) Willis. He received his education in Grand Island graduating from Grand Island Senior High School in 1960. Larry then studied at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He went on to receive a Doctorate in Education at UNL.



Larry met his wife, Ann, while working as an ambulance driver at the Grand Island Fire Station next door to Ann’s family’s home.



Larry’s father owned the Willis Shoe Shop in Grand Island, and Larry valued education from an early age. He believed in the importance of education for all and access to education through community colleges. Larry became a strong leader in the education world and his family was very proud of his accomplishments.



He is survived by his wife, Ann Willis, and 3 children, Monte Willis (wife Tina Schade Willis), Erin Willis Loucks (husband Patrick Loucks), Megan Gutmann (husband Keith Gutmann) and grandchildren, Connor and Declan Willis (Monte), PJ, Micahlyn, and Easton Loucks (Erin), Keith Jr., Kyra, Kate, Kalel Gutmann and Gracia Rojas (Megan).



He was preceded in death by his father Paul H. Willis, his mother, Clara Wieck Willis, his twin brother, Lonny Willis, and his brother, Allen Dunn.



Online condolences may be left for the family at www.apfelfuneralhome.com