Larry Philip Kirsh

Larry Philip Kirsh, age 79, of Millersburg, Ohio, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at his home at Lake Buckhorn, right where he preferred to be. He was also a former longtime resident of Galion, Ohio and Virginia Beach, Virginia, and made his mark on our world while also living in Cleveland, Loudonville, Hayesville, and Ashland, OH, Lyons, IL, Mount Vernon and Marion, OH, and Grove City, PA during his earthly journey.
Larry was born at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio in February 1944, the eldest of eight children to William F. "Bill" Kirsh, Jr. and Kathleen C. Kirsh (nee Vessels). In the late 1940's the family moved from Cleveland to Loudonville, Ohio where he spent much of his youth in Loudonville, on a farm in Hayesville, and in Ashland. He attended McMullen Elementary School in Loudonville and St. Edward Parish School in Ashland and worked at Montgomery Ward as a teenager while attending Ashland High School. The family then moved to Galion where Larry met Marilyn Ann Redden during their senior year and they graduated from Galion High School in 1962. Following high school graduation, Larry worked at the Perfection Steel Body Co. in Galion before moving to the suburbs of Chicago. In February 1964 Larry and Marilyn were married at St. Francis Xavier Church in LaGrange, IL, while living in Lyons, IL when he worked for Barnes and Reinecke and Motorola. He worked for many years as an industrial machine and tool design draftsman, a general contractor, a carpenter and cabinet maker, and was a jack of all trades. He shared partnerships in owning and operating a bronze foundry, a general contracting, building maintenance and cabinet making business Ketterman Kirsh & Associates in Galion, and a residential and commercial cabinet making business Serene Settings in Virginia Beach. He also worked as a passenger railcar maintenance and repair lead engineer for C&S Transit Corp. in Chesapeake, VA in the late 1980's.
Larry will be fondly remembered for his love of winemaking, his skill at building and refinishing furniture, for his propensity to give everyone a nickname, whether they liked it or not, and for his storytelling. Larry was raised in the great outdoors and was happiest while on or near the water, whether a lake or stream, and loved mother nature. Fishing, hunting, boating, and swimming were among his lifelong interests and activities, and he always had a family canine at his side over the years. He was a Cub Scout pack leader while living in Marion when Matt and Andy were young and attending school in the Pleasant District. He enjoyed reading and learning and enjoyed mathematics and slide rule drafting, and possessed broad knowledge of engineering, construction and building, lumber, masonry, plumbing, electrical and hvac, metals, aircraft, diesel, gas and electric motors, locomotives and rail cars, ships and propulsion systems. He was from the generation of men who preferred to repair or better engineer something, as opposed to replacing through buying brand new.
Numerous family members are left to treasure his memory and the experience of loving and knowing such a unique character, immediate family: Marilyn Kirsh of Millersburg, Andy Kirsh of Wooster, OH, Sally Kirsh of Durham, NC, and Ted Kirsh (Kate) of Brunswick, OH; grandchildren: Jennifer Stasko (Brian) of North Olmsted, OH, Halle Sibly (Kevin) of North Royalton, OH, Allyson Polgar (Nate) of North Olmsted, OH, Danielle Kirsh of Lakewood, OH, Joshua Kirsh of Virginia Beach, VA, and Erika "Rikky" Kirsh, Lindsey Kirsh, Maximilian "Max" Kirsh, Heidi Kirsh, and Benjamin "Ben" Kirsh of Brunswick; and great-grandsons Brian Stasko, Jr. and Connor Sibly; brother Thomas Kirsh (Andrea) of Columbus, OH, and sisters Cynthia Grauduss (John) of Galion, Deborah Johnson (Bill) of Prospect, OH, and Tina Hill (David) of Kansas City, MO. Larry is also survived by twelve nieces and nephews and their families, many cousins, dear friends, and more tools, equipment, and gadgets than any man should have.
Those gone before Larry include his son Matthew L. "Matt" Kirsh in April 2018 and Matt's wife Karen E. Kirsh (nee Peronne) in April 2020; parents William F. "Bill" Kirsh in April 1981 and Kathleen C. Kirsh in October 2002; mother-in-law Dorothy A. Redden (nee Nichols) in March 2004 and father-in-law Joseph M. "Joe" Redden in October 1983; and brothers William P. "Bill" Kirsh in September 2000, Frederick W. "Fritz" Kirsh in April 2008, and Michael D. "Mic" Kirsh in April 2019.
In memory of Larry, be sure to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors as he did, and raise a glass, or a whole bottle, of the amber-colored elixir he referred to as "Kentucky Kool-Aid."
Larry's wishes were to be cremated and to have his earthly remains privately scattered by his family. A gathering and celebration honoring his life will be held at a later time and will be announced.
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