Larry Alan Roman

Larry Alan Roman, of Cedar Rapids, IA, passed away at age 80 on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at St. Luke's Hospital.

Larry was born September 22, 1945 in Ashland, WI to Frank "Poncho" Roman and Evelyn (Green) Roman. He grew up in Cornucopia, a small fishing village in northern Wisconsin on Lake Superior. Throughout his life, he made regular trips back up to "Corny" to visit family and old friends. He especially loved bringing his children and grandchildren every Fourth of July weekend for the Cornucopia Club Annual Fish Fry. Larry worked in the fry shack for decades before his health declined. He was also a proud member of the Cornucopia Yacht Club.

Larry was united in marriage to Beverly Hahn, with whom he had one daughter, Nina. They later divorced. Larry married Dolores "Dee" Neidy on March 30, 1974. They had one son, Douglas.

Larry was a proud veteran. He served the United States Navy Reserves for 26 years. During his service, he traveled as far as the Philippines, Hawaii, and San Diego. He often carried Military Challenge Coins, which he would give to any veteran he met to thank them for their service. His pockets were also always full of half-dollar coins that he left as tips for servers.

Larry's hobbies and interests defined who he was. From a young age, he was always tinkering with things. He often told stories of taking apart radios and televisions as a kid just to put them back together. He made a career of tinkering as a manufacturing engineer. Even after retirement, Larry continued picking up gadgets to fix or repurpose. He also liked testing others—often gifting brainteasers and puzzle toys to family and friends—and was pleased when they were especially challenging.

He was an enthusiastic member of the Iowa Pyrotechnic Association and the Pyrotechnics Guild International (PGI). His love for learning about, building, and shooting fireworks was something he proudly shared with his grandson, Jacob. They traveled the Midwest to attend PGI annual conventions every summer for nearly 15 years. If Larry wasn't wearing a PGI t-shirt, you could almost always count on him wearing a Green Bay Packers shirt. He was a lifelong cheesehead.

If the half-dollar coin tips, puzzle toys, or his proclivity for pyrotechnics weren't enough of an indicator, Larry was an unconventional man. He despised rules and preferred to pave his own way. He had a brilliant and curious mind, and no hesitation in sharing what was on it. His quirks enriched the lives of those around him and were part of what made him so deeply loved.

Larry is survived by his wife, Dee; two children, Nina (Greg) Simmons and Doug Roman; two grandchildren, Alissa (Jedd) Spidell, and Jacob Lewis (Alissa Latteyer); his brother, Kenny (Helene) Roman; sister-in-law, Margie Roman; nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Ronald "Ronnie" Roman and Frank "Jim" Roman.

Please join Larry's family in celebrating his life Saturday, November 29th between 2-5 p.m. at Red Lion Lounge (3970 Center Point Rd NE, Cedar Rapids). Military Honors will be performed at 2 p.m.

A second celebration will be held next summer in Larry's favorite place on this earth: Cornucopia, Wisconsin.

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