Lawrence 'Larry' B. Varnes

Lawrence ‘Larry’ Burke Varnes, 77, of Grand Island, passed away on Monday, January 9, 2023, with his loving family by his side. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 5th, at the Embassy Suites in Denton, Texas. Online condolences may be left at giallfaiths.com. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to the Alzheimer's Society in Larry’s honor. Larry was born on January 21, 1945 to Robert and Frances (McWaters) Varnes and raised in Los Angeles, California. He received his education from Cal State University of Northridge (CSUN) with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Soon after graduation, Larry joined Grey Advertising, where he worked his way to Chief Operating Officer of the West, due to his incredible work ethic and strategic mind. He worked for Grey for over thirty years, retiring in 2007. Larry then became a professor at CSUN where he taught and mentored many students in Business and Advertising. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation and maintained those relationships throughout the years. After 60 years as a California native, Larry and his late wife Maureen moved to Texas for a new adventure, spending time with friends in Denton and traveling the world. After losing Maureen, Larry was lucky to find another love of his life in Kaye Dotson. Kaye and Larry married in June 2018 and Larry was always eager to tell their romantic love story of how they met on a church cruise along the Aegean Sea in the Mediterranean. Kaye and Larry split their time between Texas and Nebraska. Larry was extremely involved with his community. After losing his father to Alzheimer’s, Larry served on the National Alzheimer Association board where he eventually became Chairman and helped lead their efforts to end the disease. Additionally, he was on the Homeowners Association Board at Robson Ranch for 6 years and served as chair of the City of Denton’s Community Development Advisory Board for 5 years. During his time in Grand Island, he attended GI Free Church. Though he wore many hats throughout his lifetime, Larry’s favorite title was ‘grandpa’. He loved keeping up with his 20 grandchildren and traveling the world with his wife. Despite his many accomplishments, Larry was never one to brag and will be remembered for his eagerness to mentor others, his big bear hugs, and calming demeanor. Those left to cherish his memory include: his wife, Kaye; his children: Kristy Varnes-Sundberg, Ken (Jen) Varnes, Vanessa (Adam Grambo) Carlson-Burnaby, Jaime (Juan Capdet) Carlson; Step-children: Dawna-Kaye (Charles) Green, Michelle (Stephen) Fortner, Gregory (Anna) Dotson, and Timothy (Michelle) Dotson; Grandchildren: Annika (20), Ella (17), Jake (17), Mason (17), Anders (15), Lena (15), Kylie (14), Raif (14), Jordi (8), Santiago & Lorenzo (18 months), Harry (10), Alex (8), Geoffory (24), Dominic (21), Giancarlo (16), Allison (10), Weldon (18), Emiley (14 ), and Henry (4). Larry was preceded in death by his previous wife and life partner, Maureen Ojeda Varnes, and his parents.

Lawrence 'Larry' B. Varnes

January 21, 1945 - January 9, 2023

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Lawrence 'Larry' B. Varnes

January 21, 1945 - January 9, 2023

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

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