Larry Dee Beatty

Larry Dee Beatty, age 77, passed away on January 29, 2026 in Stanwood, WA. Born May 15, 1948 in Front Royal, VA, he was the son of the late William Carl and Mildred Mae Beatty. Larry was preceded in death by his brothers William Carl Beatty, Jr and Don Ray Beatty. He is survived by his wife Barbara, son Sean, granddaughter Jenny Mae, identical twin brother Gary Lee; brothers-in-law Bruce Wiest, Paul Wiest, and Bill Ninno; sisters-in-law Julie Wiest, Karen Wall, Cheryl Wiest, and Karen Ninno; nephews Jeff Beatty, Michael Beatty, Brock Beatty, Travis Beatty, Josh Wiest, Daniel Harnsberger, Travis Harnsberger, and William Ninno; and nieces LeeAnne Smith, Jess Jones, Tracy Wiest, Rachele Cook, Kathryn Ninno, and Victoria Ninno.
Larry retired as a college admissions officer from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia after a 32-year career in admission work. He loved to travel and meet people from other cultures, and this was a large part of his work. Larry had a special fondness for Japan after living there for 2 years as a young man and he had the opportunity to return there a few times to recruit college students. He also traveled to England, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Iceland, Canada, Costa Rica, The Czech Republic, Nigeria, India, Vietnam, China, Thailand, and the UAE. During these travels, he made lifelong friendships.
Outgoing and personable, Larry really enjoyed having interesting conversations with family, friends, and strangers. A difference in opinion would not deter him as he wanted to understand different points of view. He was civic-minded and active in the communities in which he lived. In the 1970’s, he was part of the successful movement to save the old city hall in Richmond, VA from demolition. Larry felt it was important to preserve structures and land of historical significance. Concerned about the environment, Larry planted hundreds of trees to help improve it. He loved being outdoors trimming trees and doing yard work but also enjoyed tackling home improvement projects. Larry lived a rich, full life learning about other cultures, traveling, meeting new people, and appreciating the beauty in this world.
Above all, Larry was family-oriented and took good care of his loved ones. He was also a loyal friend who stayed in touch with his friends over the years. His warmth, kindness, and sense of humor will be deeply missed.
A celebration of Larry’s life for family and friends will be planned later this year in Virginia. To honor Larry’s memory, contributions may be made to the Arbor Day Foundation.