Larry Wayne Fogerson

Larry Fogerson began his humble life in Artesia, California on December 9, 1945 born to parents, Allan and Evelyn Fogerson, he joined older sister, Margaret and older brother, Arron, completing the family. His family moved to Palo Cedro, California in 1953 where he attended 2nd - 8th grade at the Junction 1-room school house.
For high school Larry traveled 8 miles away to the "big" city of Redding to attend Enterprise High School. It was here in his junior year history class that a petite, fiery red haired, Marylyn Davis, caught his eye and he took a chance and asked her on a date. She said yes and on February 9, 1963, their first date, led to a marriage proposal and then a wedding in October 1966.
After their high school graduation in 1964, Larry attended Shasta College until he and Marylyn moved to Arcata, California in 1967 where Larry pursued his Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Humboldt State College (now Cal Poly Humboldt). When 1970 arrived, so did their first child, daughter Lynn, and shortly after graduating, Larry went to Yorktown, Virginia to attend the United States Coast Guard Officer Candidate School (OCS).
After completely the USCG OCS, Larry was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii and during his time serving in the Coast Guard he had many tours to Fiji and Samoa. During the family's two years living in Hawaii a son, Gary, was born in 1971 at Tripler Army Medical Center. In 1973 it was time to return to the lower 48 and after a short time living in Hayward, California, in 1974, Larry accepted a position (working as a Forest Property Appraiser in the Timber Tax Division for the State of California) returning to Redding, California where his and Marylyn's life together had began.
The young family bought a home in Palo Cedro, California and after settling in, their family grew again in 1975 with the birth of a third child, a son, Ryan. When their fourth child, a daughter, Robyn, joined the family in 1977, Larry started drawing architectural plans for a new larger home he would build on the 11 acres they purchased in Palo Cedro and when the house was finished, the family relocated in 1980. For the next 35 years the family grew up and then one by one, the kids moved away to attend college, serve in the military, get married and start families.
After 24 years of service making monthly drill trips to Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California, Larry retired as a Captain from the Coast Guard in 1994. In 2008 he retired from the State after spending 34 years "making his own roads and looking at trees in the woods." Enjoying retirement for just a few short years traveling and spending time with their four grandchildren, Ethan, Kira, Peyton and Alia, Larry received devastating life-alternating news in 2013-he had Parkinson's Disease. In 2015, Larry and Marylyn decided to downsize and be closer to the amenities in town so they sold their Palo Cedro homestead and bought a home in Redding.
Plans for their golden years together, sadly, did not go as they had dreamed about and instead over the next 10 years Larry fought a tough battle against the destructive effects Parkinson's took on him and Marylyn was by his side supporting and caring for him every step of the way. Throughout their marriage and even more often during this time, Larry told Marylyn many times "he loved her beyond what words could accurately express and that she should get a medal for putting up with him and loving him."
In October 2023, Larry and Marylyn celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. Unexpectedly in January 2024 Larry's health declined and while surrounded by family he passed away on February 9, 2024. Sixty-one years after sharing a first kiss on their first date, February 9, 1963, they shared their last one on February 9, 2024.
Larry is survived by his devoted wife, Marylyn; daughters Lynn Demirer (Metin) and Robyn Reger (Wesley); sons Gary Fogerson (Ritchie) and Ryan Fogerson, as well as grandchilden, Ethan and Peyton Reger and Kira and Alia Demirer. He is also survived by his brother, Arron Fogerson (Charlene).
In memory and honor of a great, much loved and loving man, Larry Fogerson, please consider sending a donation to the Parkinson's Foundation (www.parkinson.org) in the hopes of finding a cure so no one else has to endure this horrific painful disease. A small private service for family will be held at Larry's final resting place, Northern California Veterans Cemetery, Igo, California.