Larry J. Maurer

Larry J. Maurer, 85, died February 24, 2016, at Morton County Senior Living, Elkhart. He was born on February 25, 1930 at Montezuma, the son of John J. and Adeline E. (Eck) Maurer.

Larry grew up in Montezuma and was a 1948 graduate of Montezuma High School. He joined the US Navy immediately after high school and later served in the Naval Reserves. In 1951, he was recalled to active duty and served during the Korean conflict. On September 14, 1952, he married Janet Ruth Ford at Dodge City. After Larry’s discharge from the Navy in 1953, the family lived in Dodge City while Larry attended Dodge City Junior College. They attended the First United Methodist Church of Dodge City. In 1956, the family moved to Manhattan where Larry attended Kansas State, receiving a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1958. 

Upon Larry’s graduation, the family moved to Southern California where Larry started a career in the aerospace industry spanning more than 30 years. Notable employers include North American (now Boeing) and TRW (now owned by Northrup Grumman). Larry was a pioneer in the field of failure reporting and gained international recognition for his contributions to this field. Larry had an extremely high security clearance and the details of his career remain classified to this day. Larry retired in 1990.

After 51 years in California, Larry and Janet returned to Dodge City in 2009, residing at Trinity Manor. In 2011, they relocated to the Morton County Senior Living Care Center in Elkhart. 

Larry is survived by his wife Janet Ruth Maurer of Elkhart; three daughters, Judy Price of Oceanside, California, Cheryl Jeffers of Wichita, and Kathleen Buchmiller of Thousand Oaks, California; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, a brother, Delano Maurer of Carmichael, California; and two sisters, Wanda Baxter of Glendale, Arizona and Jeanette Gertz of Lexington, Virginia, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Adeline Maurer of Montezuma; a granddaughter, Jennifer Stanford of Denton, Texas; one brother, Eugene Maurer of Bucklin ; and one sister, Eunice Bell of Quartz Hill, California.

Funeral service will be held at Swaim Funeral Home on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 10:30 AM with Rev. Jerre Nolte presiding. Burial will follow at Kansas Veterans’ Cemetery in Ft. Dodge with military rites by Howard Gotschall Post #1714 V.F.W. and Navy Military Honors. Visitation will be at Swaim Funeral Home on Monday, February 29, 2016 from Noon to 8:00 PM. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society in care of the funeral home. Thoughts and memories may be shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.