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Submitted: 1/28/21 • Approved: 1/29/21 • Last Updated: 2/1/21 • R1362806-G1362806-S3
Lorene
Nov 23, 1917 - Feb 25, 2010
Lawrence
Dec 4, 1918 - Oct 29, 2014
Barry
Jan 7, 1956 - May 15, 2006
*Obituary
Lawrence Charles (Larry) Katz, 95, of Blytheville, Arkansas, passed from this life, Wednesday, October 29, 2014 in Dallas, Texas.
Larry was the son of Rose Herman Katz and Jacob Katz, Larry was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 4, 1918. Raised by his mother and grandparents, Louis and Anna Herman, Larry's grandfather was a well-known New York tobacconist for whom Larry worked growing up.
Following high school, Larry attended RCA Institute for career training in radio technology and, at the urging of RCA's president, David Sarnoff, enlisted in the United States Naval Reserves in 1941. On December 7, 1941, while stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Larry was a witness to the attack on US forces by the Imperial Navy of Japan. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Larry, together with scores of others, helped pull injured and mortality wounded sailors from the battleship Pennsylvania, anchored at dry dock in that Hawaiian harbor. Following US entrance into WWII, while serving as a radio operator assigned to Fleet Air Wing 2, Squadron VP-21, Larry flew PBY Catalina aircraft reconnaissance patrols over the Southwest Pacific, including New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, spotting Japanese aircraft and ships. On at least one occasion he was involved in a mid-air collision. During his active duty service in the US Navy, Larry achieved the rate of Aviation Chief Radioman in 1943. Following the war, Larry returned to the United States mainland and was assigned to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he met his wife to be, Lorene Kelly, an elementary school teacher who had relocated to Texas from Oklahoma; they married on Pearl Harbor Day in 1946 and remained married for 63 years until Lorene died in 2010.
Larry received an Honorable Discharge from the US Navy in 1947, and thereafter became employed by Shaw's Jewelers in Corpus Christi. In 1951, he accepted an offer from Dreyfus Jewelers, Memphis, Tennessee, and relocated to Blytheville, where he served as manager of its store at 316 W. Main until he went into business for himself in the late 1950's and opened Katz Jewelers. Operated by Larry and, later, his son, Barry Alan, Katz Jewelers became a prominent local retail shop, and remained in continuous operation for almost 50 years, until Barry died in 2006.
Larry is survived by his son, Louis Herman, of Dallas, his granddaughter, Brooke Leigh, of Louisville, Kentucky, numerous nieces, including Sharon Gillock Smith, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Eugenia Kelly MacDonell, of Mesquite, Nevada, and loving caregiver and friend, Teresa Cybulski, of Blytheville.
A memorial service was held in the chapel of the First Baptist Church, with graveside services at Elmwood Cemetery, Blytheville. Cobb Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Jonesboro Sun obits. November 4, 2014
Contributed on 1/28/21 by eagle12953
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Record #: 1362806