Larry Rask

1925 - 2015

Larry Rask

Oliver Lawrence "Larry" Rask Jr., 90 of Bothell, Washington (and formerly of Bellevue, Washington) passed away at home on April 14, 2015. He was born on January 31, 1925, in Tacoma, Washington, the son of Oliver L. Sr. and Mary (Jelley) Rask. Larry graduated from Bellarmine Prep in 1943 where he excelled in athletics (48 years later in 1991 he was inducted into Bellarmine's Hall of Fame as a four-year letterman in three sports - Football, Basketball and Baseball).

Seven days after his high school graduation he reported for duty in the United States Navy. He served as Pharmacist's Mate in the Pacific and after the war's end, he and his crewmates on the USS Bottineau provided transport services as part of Operation Crossroads in the Bikini Islands. Following an honorable discharge from the Navy, Larry returned to Tacoma where he married Dolores M. Schiesz on August 13, 1949. Over the next 64 years, Dolores and Larry would have four sons, eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Larry worked for Pacific Northwest Bell for 36 years. During his career, Dolores and he lived in Tacoma, Port Angeles, Bremerton and Bellevue. After retiring, he started the "Sports Cards for Kids" program in 1992 that donated more than four million cards, most of them baseball, to youth groups and charitable organizations. Larry solicited the assistance of his retired colleagues that were part of the Telephone Pioneers to assist with this program. Sports Cards for Kids was featured on television and he was nominated for the Seattle P-I's Jefferson Award. He also collected and sent more than 300 baseballs to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.

Dolores died December 26, 2013. During their life together they lived simply, loved richly, laughed heartily, welcomed openly and aged gracefully. Larry was also preceded in death by his parents, and his sister and her husband, Jane and Peter Sabutis.

Larry is survived by his four sons, Jeff (Cindy), Denny (Karen), Marty (Becky) and Mike (Jackie); eight grandchildren Bryan Rask (Nicole), Kyle Rask (Samantha), Jenny Demske (Phil), Travis Rask, Kevin Rask, Katie Rask, Lauren Castro (Tim) and Alex Rask, and; eight great-grandchildren Madison and Haley Rask, Anneka and Christian Demske, Kaylie Rask, Kellen Castro, and Kara and Kaisie Hubschmitt.

Larry's ashes will be interred with Dolores' in a Military Service on Monday, April 27 at 10:30 AM at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington. A Celebration of Life gathering will follow from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Green Acres Community Club House (23825 15th Avenue SE, Bothell, WA 98021).

In lieu of flowers, Larry asked that you make a donation to Bellevue Medic One in memory of Larry and Dolores Rask.