Lawrence ‘Larry’ Lyons / June 27, 1949 — May 18, 2011

Published 4:32 pm Thursday, May 26, 2011

Lawrence “Larry” S. Lyons, 61, of Dowagiac, passed away 31 years to the day of the Mount St. Helens eruption Wednesday May 18, 2011 at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo.

Lawrence 'Larry' Lyons

Larry’s life began June 27, 1949 in Dowagiac, the son of Dale A. and Doris (Stevens) Lyons. He is a 1967 graduate of Dowagiac Union High School.

Larry was united in marriage to the former Annette Bair on April 22, 1972 in Dowagiac.

He was a member of the Dowagiac Conservation Club, the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, the National Rifle Association and served on the Southwestern Michigan College Museum Advisory Board.

Larry had a wealth of knowledge and experience in so many aspects of life. Many years ago, he was a partner in B & L Tree Service and provided hardwoods for veneers; he attended Southwestern Michigan College; served on the Dowagiac and Gobles police departments; and was a volunteer conservation officer. Larry worked for 10 years in Washington State as a wildlife agent in the Mount St. Helen’s district and was one of the first people on the scene after the eruption. Larry recalled this to be one of the most memorable experiences of his life. He then moved to Texas, where he was a booking agent for big game hunting safaris to Africa. He returned to Dowagiac and worked for a time with family at Lyons Industries and he and Annette ran the Olde Town Meat Market in Dowagiac. Larry built custom muzzleloaders and rifles and most recently was restoring antique firearms for clients around the country.

Throughout most of his life, Larry was a writer. He wrote for Guns and Ammo Magazine, Michigan Out-of-Doors magazine and was the outdoors columnist for Leader Publications for many years. Larry was also a published author, having penned “The Gun Owners Handbook.”

He had a volunteer spirit, helping the American Red Cross, promoting prairie restoration, studying endangered butterfly species and the Massasauga rattlesnake in southwest Michigan. He was a Wild Land firefighter and helped fight the enormous Sleeper Lake fire in the Upper Peninsula. He was a docent for the Potawatomi Zoo. He traveled to Botswana, Zimbabwe and remote locations in Canada, Alaska and the Bahamas. Larry was also an avid fly fisherman.

His loving family includes his wife, Annette of Dowagiac; daughter, Carolyn (Ryan) Murray of Dowagiac; son, Craig (Stephanie) Lyons of Dowagiac; a brother, Donald (Joan) Lyons of Dowagiac; nephew, Lance (Liz) Lyons of Dowagiac; and niece, Shannon (Cathy McBride) Lyons of Seattle, Wash.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

Larry’s family will gather with friends today from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Dowagiac Conservation Club to celebrate his life.

Yazel & Clark Chapel is serving the family.

Memorial contributions in Larry’s name may be directed to the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC 6851 South Sprinkle Rd. Portage, MI 49002-9708) or the Southwestern Michigan College (SMC Foundation 58900 Cherry Grove Rd., Dowagiac, MI 49047).

Please sign his guestbook and leave a memory of Larry at www.yazel-clark.com.