Larry Small

Resident of Fremont.

Larry was born in Santa Rosa, CA. to Lester and Esther Small. His family moved to Martinez, CA. when he was three years old. Every summer, beginning when he was 8 years old, he worked in the prune fields near Santa Rosa at first picking and later preparing them for market. He also did yard work, sat pins at the Shell bowling alley and delivered papers for the Gazette. Larry enjoyed growing up in Martinez, fishing, playing sports with friends and at school and just hanging out. Upon graduating from Alhambra High School in 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Air Force. After attending several months of school, he was stationed at Moffett Field and then transferred to a seaplane squadron. He was made a crew member of a plane flying patrols over the Yellow Sea.

After his discharge from the Navy in 1954 he was back in Martinez and in a one in a million-chance encounter he ran into Janice Green. He had seen her before, as she was the majorette for the high school and city bands, but he had never spoken to her. They met in September and were married the following April.

Larry started work for Lockheed Missile and Space Co. on December 2, 1959, and joined their newly formed Ocean Systems division in 1980. Here he was involved in many interesting projects. Erecting oil towers in over a thousand feet of water just south of New Orleans, the recovery of a Russian submarine from over 17 thousand feet down, generating electricity using the difference in the temperature of sea water. He was their head diver for several years and the barge master of the submersible Hughes Mining Barge [HMB-1] that housed the stealth ship Sea shadow and the manager of the Redwood City site.

Upon his retirement on December 2, 1995, Larry and Jan traveled the world, visiting over 25 countries. They enjoyed the island of Hawaii and spent at least two weeks there every year for 23 years. Jan and Larry were married for more than 68 years and as Larry would like to say "If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it with you."

Larry is survived by his loving wife Janice; children, Steven (Kelly) and Mike (Lori); grandchildren, Jake, Josh (Amanda), Ethan, Sarah, and great grandsons, Matthew and Wyatt.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 4, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Centerville Presbyterian Church, 4360 Central Ave., Fremont, CA. A burial will follow at Irvington Memorial Cemetery, 41001 Chapel way, Fremont, CA with a reception to follow.