Larry Honcoop

Larry Alan Honcoop was born October 28, 1947 and received into Glory January 25, 2023.
The firstborn child of William and Ruth Honcoop, Larry was born with mental disabilities that kept life interesting for his family and care givers. Despite the challenges-- or perhaps because of them-- he lived a pretty full life.
Raised on a dairy farm, near Everson WA, Larry worked alongside his parents and siblings, helping with milking cows, cleaning the barn, chopping firewood, and putting up hay in the summer among other things. He was a hard worker that liked to be kept busy. Often, he could be found in the woodshed splitting kindling. He loved hiking, playing kick the can, working on jigsaw puzzles and listening to all kinds of music but especially gospel. One of his very favorite things to do was copying bible verses and interesting facts from the encyclopedia and write them in his numerous notebooks. He was still enjoying copying scripture right up till the end.
When he was 26, he was moved to a group home setting with other adults with intellectual disabilities. He flourished under their programs, finding joy in working for many years as a dishwasher at Red Robin in Bellingham. After retiring from Red Robin, Larry was an active volunteer in many different capacities such as cleaning at local churches, gardening at different local establishments and most recently at the library in Ferndale, shelving books.
Larry enjoyed many fun outings with his house mates over the years, always under a watchful eye. He was an exceptional "escape artist" owing to his love for taking walks and not wanting to wait for anyone to take him, not fully understanding why it wasn't prudent for him to go off on his own. This was a lifelong challenge for all his family and care givers; stories that are often shared with a chuckle.
He was a charmer in his own way, with a mischievous smile and a sense of humor we may not have always understood. He had a great memory; reciting bible verse by heart even a couple of days before he passed. He will be missed by his amazing care givers at Holly Community Services, his house mates and those who interacted with him in his daily life, and of course, his family.
Larry is survived by his siblings; David and wife Kathleen Honcoop of Moscow Idaho, Anita and husband Edward van der Elst, of Buckley WA. Robyn and husband Bruce Burke, of Deming WA and Brian and wife Rebecca Honcoop of Winlock WA., and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents William and Ruth (Bauman) Honcoop, and his sister Debra Honcoop.
Gifts in Larry's memory can be made to Holly Community Services at 2620 N. Harbor Loop, Ste 2, Bellingham WA 98225. Please designate that it's in memory of Larry and to be used to help fund social events for residents. This was an activity that Larry especially enjoyed.
A celebration of life will be held at Gillies Funeral Home in Lynden WA on February 8th at 1pm. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Gillies Funeral Home and Cremation Services.