Lawrence "Larry" Elmer Stahl

LAWRENCE “LARRY” E. STAHL

Devoted Father and Grandfather

After 18 years of living his dreams as the Grant County Airport Manager, Petersburg, W.Va., Larry, 91, peacefully passed away in his home on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Larry will be missed by all who shared his love of God, family, airplanes, mechanical engineering, and a good debate. 

Larry's life path led to him becoming one of the most recognized aeronautical engineers who was an expert at restoring antique sailplanes and keeping the love of sailplaning alive within the United States and it started when he joined the Air Force.

On April 8, 1948, Larry’s honorable military service began in the United States Air Force as a Senior Medical Service Specialist. He was only 17 years old and had not graduated from high school when he joined. He tested in the top 3% of the anatomy section of the ASVAB and was assigned as a medic. He saved several lives during the Korean War as the Senior Medic. His medical office consisted of a single bed where he removed each bullet, patched each patient, with seconds to spare before the next patient arrived. He received a medical discharge after serving four honorable years. He entered the Air Force as an aircraft aficionado and left with an overwhelming passion for all things that fly. 

Larry’s aviation journey led him to being the lead engineer on an ocean going tugboat out of Seattle, WA to working on the assembly floor of Boeing while he continued his education. Later, Boeing promoted him to design engineer where he made molds for aircraft parts and he eventually designed and patented parts for several aircrafts including the B-52 Bomber.

Larry’s acute ability to conceptualize, design, and make his ideas reality were recognized by Hardee’s and was hired as their Director of Engineering in Rocky Mount, NC. Larry retired from Hardee’s 20 years later, making fast-food engineering the indisputable healthiest part of eating fast-food. He invented and patented the smokeless chimney, cutting fast-food pollution to almost non-existent. Ever notice the “air” blowing down from a door opening in a restaurant? It is called an “air-curtain”, you can thank Larry for inventing and patenting that to keep the flies out of your food. He even received recognition from the Queen of England for inventing an "apparatus for use in combination with a cooking range hood".

After retiring from Hardee’s, Larry and his wife Joan, searched for the perfect “next job” and it only had one requirement; must be managing an entire airport. Five years later, Grant County Airport in Petersburg, W.Va. had a small ad in a small-town NC newspaper, for an airport manager. Petersburg, W.Va. welcomed Larry and Joan to their Norman Rockwell town in 2000. 

 Over the next 18 years, Larry’s positive impact on the community, the airport, and flying enthusiasts, from all over the world is insurmountable. Everyone who encountered Larry became his friend. Pilots would purposefully fly out of their way to gas-up at “Larry’s” airport. He extended the runway by 3500 feet, brought the Civil Air Patrol to the community and was the Civil Air Patrol Captain, taught glider classes, could repair any aircraft, loaned towplanes to help other pilots, and was always available to provide advice, guidance, and teach all flight enthusiasts. Larry was also a collector of airplane parts. He had the largest collection of Schweizer 2-33 airplanes and Schweizer 2-33 parts outside of the Schweizer Company, that the company would actually contact Larry to see if he had a part a customer needed.

He also collected several internationally recognized licenses and certifications, to include the Master Plumber and Electrician License; Certified Flight Instructor Glider (CFIG; Inspection Authorized Mechanic (IA); and Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A&P); Certified Flight Instructor for Glider and Powered Aircraft; and the State of Wisconsin was the only state in the U.S. that allowed Larry to take the Professional Engineer (PE) test without a four year degree, he passed on his first try and received the PE Certificate of Registration.

Larry was born January 16, 1931, in Phoneton, OH to Elmer and Elsie Stahl, where he was also raised. He is survived by his loving wife, Joan Eidman Stahl, whom he married in 1961 and had 61 adventurous years together; four daughters, Terry Collins of Raleigh, N.C., Brandy Smith (Matthew) of Moorefield, W.Va., Rebecca Shanholtz (Richard) of Petersburg, W.Va., and Lynda Harper of Tacoma, WA; his five sons, Allen Stahl (Michelle) of Middleburg, FL, Roy Stahl (Jeannine) of Kenly, N.C., Carey Stahl (BJ) of Clayton, N.C., Gary Stahl (Rosie) of Port St. Lucie, FL, and Dale Stahl (Deanna); 20 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his two brothers, Floyd and Welford Stahl, and his sister Helen Shepherd. 

In honoring Larry’s wishes, his body will be cremated.  His family will receive friends on Saturday, May 14, 2022, 1-3 PM at the Basagic Funeral Home in Petersburg, WV.  A memorial service will follow in the funeral home chapel at 3:00 PM with Pastor Rick Bergdoll officiating and with Military Honors bestowed by the Potomac Highland VFW Post #6454 Honor Guard.   Memories and words of comfort may be left at www.basagic.com