Colonel Harry Wayne Larabee

1940 - 2025

Colonel (Ret.) Harry "Wayne" Larabee, 84, of Amelia Island, FL passed away on Saturday, October 4, 2025 in Amelia Island, FL.
Wayne was born on October 17, 1940 in Greensburg, PA to Harry Alton Larabee and Mildred Louise Robertson. After graduating from Mt Lebanon High School in June 1958 he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Upon graduation in 1962 with a BS in Engineering he took a commission in the Air Force as a 2nd Lt. This opportunity came because the Air Force Academy was not graduating enough officers to fulfill their requirements. He immediately attended the University of Pittsburgh to pursue a MS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research which he earned in April 1964 and was assigned to Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH as a Technical Intelligence Officer analyzing Soviet Union military weapon systems. In 1967 Wayne was reassigned to London, England as a Defense Intelligence Agency Liaison Officer with the British Ministry of Defense. He and his wife had the opportunity to adopt two wonderful children while there, Christopher in 1968 and Heather in 1969.
Reassignment back to the U.S. in 1970 took him to Newark College of Engineering teaching Aerospace Science for three years. In 1973 he began his coveted career in weapon systems development by joining the F-15 System Program Office, Wright Patterson AFB, Air Force Systems Command. In 1978 he was selected to attend the Defense Systems Management College, Ft Belvoir, VA. While attending this post graduate course he was promoted to Lt Colonel and was selected to be the Chief of the Management Division of the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) Joint Program, Eglin Air Force Base, FL Armament Systems Division and later selected as the Deputy Program Manager. This weapon system has been and is still being utilized on F-14, F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter jets in many conflicts throughout the world.
As a Colonel in 1982 Wayne was selected for the Air War College (AWC) in Montgomery, AL. While there he took the opportunity to earn his MBA from Auburn University. Returning to the Armament Systems Division, Eglin AFB, FL Wayne became the Division Comptroller. Upon USAF retirement in 1986 Wayne went to work for Hercules Aerospace Corp in Salt Lake City, UT as the Vice President of Control and Administration. Hercules Aerospace develops and manufactures solid rocket motors for DOD weapons. In 1992 Wayne transferred with Hercules to be their Resident Manager at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Marys, GA. He worked at Kings Bay through October 1999 when he took an early retirement.
Wayne was a very active member of The Golf Club of Amelia Island for over 30 years and loved every minute he was on the golf course or the driving range. He and his wife Linda loved walking the beach together for years, a promise they made to each other when they left the winters of Utah.
He leaves behind his wife, Linda of 38 years and children, Heather Larabee of Ft Walton Beach, FL and Christopher (Stephanie) of Ft Walton Beach, FL; four grandchildren, Brick Larabee, Isabella Larabee, Chelsie Larabee (Josh) of Niceville, FL; Jessie Larabee (Justin) of St Mary, PA and six great-grandchildren. Brother, H. Dennis Larabee (Karen) of Plain City, OH and two nieces, Marnie (Casey) Liddy of Plain City, OH and Meghan (Chris) McDonald of Newburyport, MA. Linda's brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Margaret Ann Reimann of Sapphire, NC. He is predeceased by his mother and father Mildred and Harry Larabee.
Funeral services will be at 11:00 on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at Oxley Heard Chapel followed by interment at the Jacksonville National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10:00 am until the hour of the service.
Donations may be made in Wayne's memory to Community Hospice, Warner Center.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.