Larry Dean George

1944 - 2025

With deep love and gratitude, we celebrate the life of Reverend Larry George, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, pastor, and tireless advocate for human rights, who passed away peacefully surrounded by his family this past Saturday.

Larry was born on November 8, 1944, and grew up between the plains of Nebraska and the sunny coastline of Southern California. During his college years in San Diego, he met the love of his life, Lynn. Their marriage of 59 years was a testament to friendship, understanding, shared purpose, and joy through life's gifts and challenges.

After their marriage, Larry and Lynn moved to Boston, where Larry pursued seminary studies at Boston University. It was there that they welcomed their son, David, followed by their daughter, Rebecca. Eventually they returned to California, where Larry began his ministry as Associate Pastor at Willow Glen United Methodist Church in San Jose. He also served as the founding Pastor of Foothills UMC in Rescue, California, before retiring as Pastor of First UMC in downtown Sacramento. Throughout his career, his work expressed a dedication to humility, wisdom, and radical love for every person whose life he touched.

Larry's ministry was also defined by compassion, courage, and conviction in activism. From marching in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, to lobbying Congress for marriage equality, to his deep commitment to the Israeli/Palestinian peace process, he believed in a call to justice and peace. His advocacy was deeply personal, grounded in his unwavering belief that every human being is a child of God, worthy of dignity and love.

Outside the pulpit, Larry was an avid runner, running the Boston Marathon twice in the 1960s and finding joy on back-country trails from the Sierras to Wyoming. After knee surgeries made running impossible, he became an avid cyclist, even climbing Mt. Ventoux in France by bicycle just a few years ago. He loved to travel with his wife, Lynn, all over the world, and made friends in every place they visited. He delighted in meeting people, and had a gift for remembering names, faces, and stories about each person. Larry also had a passion for good wine and cherished every meal, not just for the food but for the company and the conversations that made each gathering sacred.

In his final days and last good-byes, Larry expressed his profound gratitude for a life full of love, his family, and so many wonderful friends he met all over the world. His humility and good humor until the very end inspired everyone who helped him through this last transition. He is survived by his beloved wife, Lynn, his children David and Rebecca and their spouses Jennifer and Mark, and his cherished grandchildren: Sabrina, Rose, and Calvin George, and Quinn Palmer.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 27, at 11:00 a.m., at First United Methodist Church, 2100 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95816. Larry's family requests that in lieu of flowers, remembrances be made as charitable gifts in Larry's name to either Friends of Wadi Foquin (donations can be made online through Berkeley UMC at: https://tithe.ly/give?c=2227831, be sure to select "Friends of Wadi Foquin" in the dropdown menu, and designate "in memory of Larry George" in the memo box); or to Ring Lake Ranch at P.O. Box 806, Dubois, Wyoming 82513; or to a charitable organization of your choice that reflects Larry.