Larry Merlin Crail

Larry M. Crail died peacefully on March 13, 2026, in Las Cruces, New Mexico at the age of 85 with his loving wife at his side.

Larry was born on June 19, 1940, in Kokomo, Indiana to parents Clyde M. Crail and Neoshia M. Ball. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Max Tidler, Victor Gary Holt, and C. Frank Crail.

Larry graduated from Western High School, promptly joined the US Air Force and was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. This marked the beginning of his career stationed at different bases around the world through his work with the Air Force, teaching for the Navy and working for the Department of Defense.

This was also where his lifelong friendship with the love of his life, Ann, his wife of 64 years, began. They met in Denver while he was in the Air Force and she was a student nurse at Mercy Hospital. In his version of the story she asked him to dance at a USO dance and the rest is history. They made their home wherever they were stationed and upon retirement from White Sands Missile Range settled in Las Cruces.

Larry filled his retirement with a variety of volunteer activities helping whenever he saw a need. He took it upon himself to help neighbors and friends in a variety of small ways. He also loved learning and was a born teacher. As his family fondly remembers, “Don’t ask him what time it is because he’ll tell you how the clock works.”

He is survived by his wife, Ann; daughters Susan (Dan) Guard and Sharon (Christopher) Migotsky; and granddaughter Caitlin (Tyler) Hughes.

Memorial service to be held on Tuesday, April 7 at 11:00 am at Getz Funeral Home, 1410 E Bowman Ave, Las Cruces, NM. Inurnment of ashes to take place at Ft Bliss National Cemetery.