Larry Strassner

Larry Strassner, 83, passed away peacefully in his Vero Beach, FL, home under Hospice Care on October 22, 2025. Born in Baltimore on October 1, 1942, Larry led a vibrant life with a "can-do" attitude that inspired and touched the lives of anyone lucky enough to cross paths with him.

He was the husband of Patricia Fisher Strassner, son of Andrew James Strassner and Alma Coroum Strassner, and brother to Francine Strassner Adams, Andrew James "Jimmy" Strassner, Jack Strassner, and Jill Strassner Golueke. Father to Laurence Michael "Mike" Strassner, Jr. (59), William Scott Strassner (56), and Lauren Michelle Russell (53). He was also grandfather to Lydia Carol Thomas (33), Jillian Kendall Strassner (26), Laurence Michael "Mick" Strassner, III, Madelyn Elizabeth "Maddie" Strassner (20), Sawyer Mackenna Russell (23), Gretchen Burke Russell (21, USMA '26), and Libby Ann Russell (19, USMA '29).

Larry attended Immaculate Conception School through 8th grade before attending Calvert Hall, a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys in Baltimore, MD. Upon graduating in 1960, Larry enlisted in the Army and reported to Fort Jackson, SC. Before completing basic training, he was selected and assigned to a new post at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS) in Ft. Belvoir, VA. One year later, he accepted an appointment to West Point, where he proudly played as a member of the varsity lacrosse team under the guidance of Jim "Ace" Adams, a legendary coach and member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, who led them to a USILA national championship in 1961, among other team accolades.

Larry graduated from West Point in 1965 as the Company Commander of Delta Company, 1st Regiment, and subsequently earned his Airborne and Ranger tabs. He married his high school sweetheart, Sharon Lynn McDade, in June 1965 and was stationed in Hanau, Germany, prior to serving his country in Vietnam, where he received several distinctions, including a Purple Heart, an Army Commendation Medal, and a Bronze Star.

After his military service, Larry lived in Lancaster, PA, where he was the president of a regional bank and later ran a company that refueled nuclear power plants. In the 90s, after his first retirement, Larry moved to Charlotte, NC, to help his brother-in-law with a land development project, where he met his second wife, Pat. They wed in 2003 and lived in Norfolk, VA, before relocating to Severna Park, MD, so that Larry could help his daughter and son-in-law build a furniture company that exclusively built coastal furniture in America-they called it Russell & Mackenna. The company later became known as Maine Cottage and was acquired by Thomas Baker in 2016, at which point Larry officially retired for a second time and enjoyed life on the Severn River with his wife and dog, Roxie, until 2023, when they moved to Vero Beach, FL, to be closer to family.

Aside from the outdoor trails, his two favorite places to make friends were at the Big Bean Coffee Shop and the Holy Grounds Wake Up Group, both in Severna Park, MD. He loved football (Army and Panthers), playing golf (anywhere, any time), and running. Larry completed six marathons and too many smaller foot races to count-one of his favorite runs was the annual Annapolis 10-mile race. Ironically, his favorite local run was the perimeter of the Naval Academy, particularly when the cherry blossoms were in bloom. Larry will be missed. A celebration of his life will be held in Severna Park at a later date to be determined. Rangers Lead the Way. Go Army, Beat Navy.