Larry Correia

1956 - 2023

Larry Correia
May 27, 1956 - July 6, 2023
Merced, California - Larry Lee Correia, a Merced resident since birth, passed away on July 6, 2023 at his home. He was 67. Larry was a loving husband, stepfather, grandfather and a United States Army veteran.
Born to Guillermo and Louisa Correia on May 27, 1956, Larry was the youngest of eight children. At age 17, he enlisted in the Army and undertook his basic training at Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, CA and was subsequently stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington state. Orders then brought him to Korea where he served the majority of his three years of service; he was honorably discharged in 1976 and returned to Merced. Not a day went by where he didn't reflect proudly and fondly of his time defending our country and was invariably armed with a story to fit the moment - stories from the hilarious to the harrowing.
Larry had a big heart and was known as "Papa" to his grandchildren. He routinely coached youth baseball in Merced for his stepsons' or grandchildren's teams and, after his coaching days, cherished the opportunity to watch them in youth sports and other endeavors. He was an avid angler who fished all of the region's lakes and, as many of his friends know, had numerous anecdotes about filling the boat at each one of them; he was excited and proud to teach all the children in his life to fish. He enjoyed cooking, especially for the grandchildren, and would often deliver food to the neighbors. He was a loyal (which means periodically disgruntled) 49ers and Giants fan and would never miss the opportunity to strike up a conversation about 49er games or start impromptu sports trivia contests with friends. He wouldn't hesitate from doing the same with acquaintances he just met.
Larry was gifted in many trades and retired from the Housing Authority of the County of Merced after 17 years working within the maintenance department. He was a member of Elks and could often be found at the #1240 socializing with fellow members.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Joe Correia and Danny (Jennifer) Correia. He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Luanna (Agasie); by his sisters Elsie Moore, Mary Hatfield, and Vangie (Lee) Halford all of Merced; sisters Dolores (Jim) King of Carmel, CA, and Jeanie (David) Ross of Fort Worth, TX; stepsons Ryan (Sunny) Spencer of Randolph, NJ and Nathan (Karen) Spencer of Merced, CA; and grandchildren Kayleigh, Jon, Will, Allison, and Graysen. He was also a loving uncle to numerous nieces and nephews.
The funeral service will be held at 10:00am on Friday, July 14, 2023 at First Baptist Church, 500 Buena Vista Dr., Merced, California. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.