Lawrence C. "Larry" Kolarik

Lawrence Charles "Larry" Kolarik, 49, of Sartell, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, Sept. 4, at home.
Larry was born May 24, 1976, to Lawrence and Ann Kolarik in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota, where he graduated from Burnsville High School, and later spent his adult life in St. Cloud.
Larry met Heather Turek while the two worked at Target in Burnsville. The two married on June 9, 2001, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in New Prague. They made their home together in St. Cloud, where they built a life filled with love, laughter, strong friendships, and a shared bond over music-especially Bon Jovi – and sports, including NFL football and NHL hockey.
After many years working in retail for Target, Larry transitioned to Target Pharmacy (later CVS Pharmacy), where he was employed as a pharmacy technician. He was known for his work ethic, customer service skills, and outgoing personality. Larry also worked in the St. Cloud hospitality industry, where he made countless friends and acquaintances. His last job was at Walmart where he loved the work and personal connections that he made.
Outside of work, he enjoyed sports and fantasy football, collecting NFL and NHL jerseys, watching and collecting movies, his favorite TV show Cheers, and all things "in a galaxy far, far away" as an avid Star Wars collector.
Family was at the center of Larry's life. He and Heather shared more than two decades of marriage until her passing in January 2023. He will be remembered as a loving husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend.
Larry was preceded in death by his wife, Heather; their cats; and grandparents, Adolf and Alice Kolarik and Charles "Chuck" and Kay Johnson.
He is survived by his parents, Lawrence and Roberta (Ann) Kolarik of Waite Park; siblings Michael Kolarik, Mark (Pat) Kolarik, Steve (Mary) Kolarik, Scott (Karen) Kolarik, Mary Lynn Panek, Kathy (Jeff) Hage, and Heather (Mike) Benson; nieces and nephews, along with countless others whose lives he touched.
A celebration of Larry's life will be held from 4–7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home, 324 Second Ave. S., Sauk Rapids. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud or the American Diabetes Association.
The family wishes to thank friends and relatives for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time.