Larry Blang

On May 27, 2022 Larry Blang loving husband and father of two passed away of a lung disease surrounded by family and friends at the age of 80 at his home in Mesquite Nevada. Larry was born September 9 1941 to John Blang and Alice Wincher Blang in Black River Wisconsin.
At the age of fifteen, Larry said his good byes to family and friends and moved to Los Angeles CA. He started his first fulltime job at fifteen working for Seal Right Co. making ice cream containers. In his later years he worked as a machinist and welder in the Los Angeles CA and was drafted into the Army on January 28, 1964. He was stationed in Germany with his main duties of mail clerk until he was honorably discharged on January 19, 1966. Upon discharge, Larry continued to live in Los Angeles and traveling to Idaho for Christmas to enjoy the adventures of snowmobiling in the Island Park area. In 1969 Larry felt that he was being called home to the outdoors and winter activities in Idaho and moved to Blackfoot Idaho working at Custom Body Works and later TESCP of Idaho as a welder.
In 1973 Larry married JoAnn Peters who he said was the love of his life. They shared the joy of raising a daughter and a son.  Larry continued to love Island Park and they purchased a lot in the Buffalo River Subdevelopment in 1978. Together with his family, he cleared the timber and placed a mobile home on the property until they could build their dream home. Larry started his own welding business in 1974 and made a lot of friends in the farming industry. In 1980, Larry accepted employment with the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory as a welder. He continued to work at the Chemical Processing Plant/INTEC until retirement on January 1, 2006. In 2006 the very long-awaited dream home was constructed in Island Park. That became their permanent residence. Larry called it his Winter Wonderland and loved every minute snowmobiling, fishing and ATVing.  In 2008, Larry and JoAnn started RVing with friends and headed South to Arizona and Nevada. They made many RVing friends and enjoyed the life of traveling.  He loved to BBQ and Dutch oven cooking and made the best Dutch oven desserts.  Due to the high elevation affecting Larry’s lungs, they sold their dream home and went from the mountains of Island Park Idaho to Nevada in 2017. There another dream home was designed and built in Mesquite Nevada and Luca a small golden retriever came to live with them. Luca was a registered diabetic service dog and was with Larry 24 hours a day. She was his pride and joy. Larry celebrated 31 years of sobriety and attended Alcoholic Anonymous meetings two to three times a week in Mesquite. Larry loved and lived the principals of Alcoholic Anonymous. At the end of his journey, Larry found another dream home in the sky, flying high above the mountains and free as the birds.
Larry is survived by his wife JoAnn, Luca his registered golden retriever, a daughter Teresa (Todd) Oakes and a son Mike (Kris) Blang. He has 6 grandchildren Josh, Andrew, Tyson and Zack Hyde, Brandi (Andrew) Johnson and Channing (Shane) Stapley. 13 great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Larry was preceded in death by both his parents and his brothers Dick, Jim and Jerry Blang, his mother-in-law and father-in-law Clem and Molly (Mary Catherine) Peters and brother-in-law John Peters, and great granddaughter Oaklie Hyde.
At Larry’s request he was cremated and a memorial service will be at a later date in Blackfoot Idaho. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in their Guest Book at www.virginvalleymortuary.com.