Lawrence W. Hanlon

Lawrence William "Larry" Hanlon, 84, of Liberty, MO, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2021, surrounded by his loving family.

Larry was born January 27, 1937, in St. Louis, MO, and lived in Turney and Cameron before moving to Liberty in 1987. He served in the US Army, receiving honorable discharge in 1957 and later received his Bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He worked for Allis Chalmers and Whitaker Cable before working for Ford Motor Company at the KC Assembly Plant. His career spanned 30 years, where he retired as an Electrician in 2000.

Sometime in the mid 70’s Larry experienced a life changing relationship with his savior Jesus Christ, which sparked a lifetime dedication to service to others. It was not uncommon to find out that he had stopped to help people with car trouble during his drives to and from Cameron or coming home from work late at night.

Larry supported several different ministries through the years. He was a man of few words but felt strongly about wanting people to hear about Jesus and gave generously to those who spread the gospel in various areas of the state and country.

In the early years of his retirement he went on three different mission trips to Mexico to build houses for those in need and enjoyed it so much that after he was not able to travel, he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to build homes locally. He was not one to sit still, so he also volunteered with a group of men at his church who were responsible for identifying handyman type of issues as well making repairs.

Larry also had a passion for learning and in addition to taking classes on his own, he taught Math at a local Christian school and later volunteered for Project Literacy where he spent time helping others learn to read as well as helping those that needed help with math skills while preparing for GED tests. There are many individuals including his children and grandchildren who learned algebra with his help.

In his spare time Larry enjoyed traveling with Mary in their motor home, riding his Harley and going to Smithville Lake to sail. Although he enjoyed boating on the Mississippi River when he was a young man, he decided he would learn to sail and this led to many afternoons of enjoyment on his sailboat.

Late in life, he was not able to do all the activities that he loved but he still learned to do new things, like load the dishwasher and help Mary out around the house. Together they hosted and taught a Sunday school class in their home that they enjoyed immensely. Many people have come and learned about living life with a biblical worldview but also came to love and appreciate Larry’s knowledge and dry sense of humor.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Anthony Hanlon, Sr. and Mary Alice (Huemmler) Hanlon; and brothers, Robert Hanlon and Donald Hanlon. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Mary Ann (Mitchell) Hanlon; daughters, Patricia Wolpers (Rick) and Michele Beck (Bill); grandchildren, Ashley Hostikka (Richard), Emily Wolpers and Killian Beck; great grandchildren, Savannah, Brock and Sadie Hostikka; brother, Edward Hanlon Jr.; and numerous nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 pm Friday, March 26, and services 10:00 am Saturday, March 27, all at Park Lawn Northland Chapel, Liberty (816) 781-8228. Burial with military honors will follow the service at Glenridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 pm Friday, March 26, and services 10:00 am Saturday, March 27, all at Park Lawn Northland Chapel, Liberty (816) 781-8228. Burial with military honors will follow the service at Glenridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care.