Verl Edward "Jack" Larkey

LARKEY, Verl Edward ''Jack''
On October 25, 2004, Verl, "Happy Jack," joined the Holy Spirit in Heaven due to complications from a recent fall. In his almost 95 years here he was known as "the Jack of all trades and master of most." A very thrifty and resourceful man, he was a true pioneer recycler. If you needed something fixed, Verl either had the part or he could make it. Thank you, Lord, for his presence while he was here, always briming with wisdom and never apathetic. A true gift to have known and loved him.

Verl was born on December 26, 1909, in LaCygne, Kansas, to the late Harvey and Sarah Weir Larkey. He is survived by one sister, Opal Wiseman, of Booneville, Missouri, one son, Gary, of Sacramento, two daughters, Dr. Constance Ace of Whitehouse, New Jersey, and Wilma Joan Nagel of Banning, CA. He leaves five grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, two nieces, Debra Wiseman and Susan Geiger, and one nephew, Donald Wiseman, all of Missouri. Verl loved taking his granddaughter, Cerena Larkey, on many dates to movies, plays, lunches, miniature golf, the zoo and many other outings. These precious times were fondly called "Cerena-Grandpa Days." He loved family dinners prepared by his daughter-in-law, Janet, and her mother, Virginia. He also loved the hours he spent in his garden tending to his vegetable plants and fruit trees. He was a very mentally, physically, spiritually fit man all his life. Verl was a true environmentalist; one time he hiked from San Jose to Santa Cruz, just to enjoy and appreciate the trees, creeks and landscapes. He always wanted to revisit one special valley he passed through on that particular excursion. Now he can spend as much time as he would like to in this valley of his dreams. In his senior years he enjoyed traveling and camping with his son, Gary, in their RV.

As a boy and young man he lived and worked on his Uncle John and Aunt Carrie's ranch near LaCygne. Daily, he rode miles to attend school in the one-room school house in town. He was an avid hunter and fisherman in his youth, always saving the money from the sale of the pelts and hides for the day he would leave the family ranch. At the age of twenty-one he was allowed to leave the ranch and felt the calling of Kansas City. As a young man, he played with the Kansas City Athletics (now the Oakland A's). He really wanted to go to law school; however, he only had enough money to attend barber school. At this time he heard the calling of the West. He spent one year as foreman of a cattle ranch near Greeley, Colorado, then on to the nearby silver mines. It was at this time he felt the beckoning of California; he came to the Mother Lode near Downieville, working in the Forest Mine near Allgheny and the Spanish Mine near Washington, California. He operated heavy drilling machinery and did dynamite blasting work for several years there. He miraculously survived two mine shaft cave-ins during his mining career. Hard, dangerous work, as it was - with very low wages it forced him to move to San Jose. Near San Jose he helped design and build the Kaiser Permanente Cement Plant. Verl proudly enlisted in the Army to serve his country in WWII. He served as a mechanical engineer at Camp Beale, CA. It was at this time, at a U.S.O. dance in Sacramento, that he met the LOVE of his life, Wilma Hayter, who passed away in 1988. Upon being honorably discharged from the Army after World War II, he married and began his family with Wilma in Southern California. Being the avid multi-tasker, he owned and operated a gas station, welding/machine shop and apartment house while, at the same time working at the Swift Meat Packing Plant as a Boiler operator and then at the Four S bakery as a mechanical engineer. After several years, he and his family were very happy to move to Sacramento in search of the fresh air in Northern California. Here, he successfully pursued careers in real estate sales, ranching, landlording, engineering and parenting, the latter being the most cherished opportunity of his life. He was a Mason, a past member of the Capitol City Lodge #499 in Sacramento. Also, he and Wilma so enjoyed their membership in the Good Sam's Organization with their senior camping friends and always found quality time to spend with his family and church (the Aldersgate and Wesley Methodist Churches). He was very supportive of his son Gary's music career and his daughter Connie's dance and baton twirling recitals and expeditions. He was very proud of his daughter Joan's success at parenting and her career in nursing. Before Verl retired he spent over 20 years serving the State of California as the HVAC refrigeration mechanical engineer for the Department of Motor Vehicles and Highway Patrol buildings here in Sacramento. He stayed very active until shortly before he left us, an amazing feat for a person who lived his whole life with only one eye, the other lost in a wood chopping accident at age seven. He was both a 49ers and a Raiders fan, and Monday Night Football was his favorite television program. He also enjoyed antique automobiles, especially hot rods, and loved to attend Hot August Nights in Reno. From his hospital bed, on October 21, 2004, he, his son and his daughters were planning a gala event - his 95th birthday party on December 26. The family will celebrate his birthday and life on that day, knowing for sure that he will be there in spirit and requesting just one more scoop of ice cream. God bless you, Verl. You sure knew how to live! In the last days of his life his family had to regretfully give him to God; however, through his faith and ours, we all know that now he is painlessly happy and soaring with the eagles. Free at last, Free at last, Free at last. Upon entering Heaven, we know that he probably asked the Lord if any repair work was needed on site. With a smile, God most likely replied, "Thank you, Jack, nothing is in need of repair here. It is now time for you to rest, enjoy all and reap the blessings of a wonderful life on earth and just believing in Me." If Verl could leave us with just one last message it would be: where there is hatred, bring love...where there is wrong, bring forgiveness...where there is discord, bring harmony...where there is error, bring truth...where there is doubt, bring faith...where there is dispair, bring hope...where there are shadows, bring light...and most important where there is sadness, bring JOY. An equally important message to all of his family and friends would be, "PLEASE, SLOW DOWN! TAKE CARE, WATCH YOUR STEP AND DON'T FALL!!!"

Verl Larkey was a very proud veteran, receiving the very best of healthcare through the Veterans Hospitals here and in San Francisco. Verl requested no memorial services other than a family gathering. If you are so moved by his life as all of us were, you may join with his family by making donations to help with Veterans Hospital needs in Verl's memory. Please make all memorial donations to Fund G.P.F. 6400, c/o Juanita De Luna, Volunteers Office, V.A. Medical Center, 10535 Hospital Way, Mather, CA 95655, or for more information please call (916) 366-5372. A sincere "THANK YOU" from the family of Verl Larkey.