Laverne "Larry" Nitz

May 5, 1930 - May 7, 2022

Laverne “Larry” Edward Nitz passed away on May 7th, 2022. He was born in Clinton, Wisconsin on May 5th, 1930 to Ernest August Carl Nitz & Kari “Carrie” Olena Newhouse. Larry was married to Etta Katherine McHarge in 1953. They had three children. In 1978, he married Dorothy Anne Chalamonsky/Munroe. Larry is survived by his sons: Michael Nitz (Jerry Koleske), Ronald Munroe (Song Ha), Gregory Munroe (Cindi); daughters: Alice Thaggard (Robert), Linda Starr McLaughlin, Lori Hempfling (Gerhard “Gary”), Lisa McConnell (Christopher) and Barbara Munroe. He is also survived by 13 Grandsons, 3 Granddaughters and 7 Great-grandchildren Larry served as a photographer in the United States Army with the rank of Sergeant from 1951-1957 and received an Honorable Discharge. He obtained his Tool and Die Maker Certification at Fairbanks Morse, Beloit, Wisconsin, in 1957. After finishing his certification, he traveled south looking for employment. While looking for work in Tampa, he traveled across the bridge to Clearwater Beach and found what he thought was paradise. He became a tool and die maker and machinist at Honeywell in St. Petersburg. He also taught at Pinellas Vocational Technical School and eventually became the department head. He spent one year teaching machine shop technology in Saudi Arabia. Larry traveled all over the world. He loved playing golf, enjoyed hanging out with family and friends, and loved the mountains. He and Dot lived many of their retirement years in the Georgia foothills.