Memorial
Larry Cecil Reeve was born January 12, 1947, in Iowa City, Iowa, to George Albert and Emma Louise (Morris) Reeve. When he was 7 years old his family moved to Cedar Rapids. Apart from time spent at college and in the Army, he lived in Cedar Rapids for the remainder of his life.
After a long and valiant struggle, Larry succumbed to siege by cancer on April 1, 2024 at the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. Larry and Susan are very grateful for the incredible support they received from friends and family during his long illness. They also are indebted to Dr. Melanie Stahlberg, the doctors who treated Larry at University of Iowa Hospitals, to Hospice of Mercy and to the exceptionally skilled and caring nurses and staff at the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. You all imprinted yourselves on our hearts.
Larry graduated from Washington High School in 1965. He briefly attended Iowa State University, then served in the Army where he was stationed in Taiwan. After his time in the Army, he returned to ISU and received his degree in Electrical Engineering.
Larry began his career at Rockwell Collins in 1973 and retired in 2013 as a Principal Software Engineer. While he highly valued his work and his colleagues, he enjoyed discovering and exploring new interests in the years of his retirement.
For many years Larry conducted a software business from home. He provided a popular software graphics viewer through shareware and enjoyed interactions with customers across the globe.
Larry married Susan Caldwell, whom he met on a blind date in 1966. Their brief time dating ended when Larry entered the Army. After following separate paths, they reconnected in 1973 and enjoyed what Larry described as 51 glorious years together. He was a patient, kind and thoughtful husband. He and Susan merged their separate interests, which allowed them to share adventures they may not have pursued on their own.
Friends and family knew Larry as intelligent, strong, honest, and generous. His loyalty was unwavering. He had a wry sense of humor, and a heightened awareness of the absurd. He dealt with adversity with dignity and resilience. He believed in the Golden Rule and lived his life accordingly.
Larry held a lifelong reverence for nature and had a deep love of animals (especially his beloved dogs). He was an avid reader and a dedicated cyclist. His other interests included software development, music, hiking, cars and photography. He enjoyed helping people solve problems.
In addition to Susan, Larry is survived by brothers, Robert (Georgeann) of Leesburg, VA and Rex (Brenda) of Thornton, CO; brother-in-law, Robert T. Caldwell (Helen Kudos) of Cañon City, CO; several nieces and nephews, and many cousins.
Although Larry and Susan had no children of their own, they have had especially close relationships with niece, Iris Caldwell-Veraart (Stan) and nephew, Joseph Caldwell.
Larry was predeceased by his father, George A. Reeve; mother, Emma Louise Hoopes; his in-laws, Robert L. and Anna Caldwell; and two sisters-in-law, Barbara L. Caldwell and Judith Madden.
Funeral service will be on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 4:00pm, at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. A visitation will take place 1 hour prior to the service starting at 3:00pm, at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel Stateroom. A livestream of the funeral service may be accessed on the funeral home website under the obituary for Larry, under the video tab, starting at 4:00pm on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
In light of Larry’s preference for no flowers, those wishing to honor Larry’s life with a donation might consider a cause that reflects his love of nature: The Rocky Mountain Conservancy (48 Alpine Circle, Estes Park, CO 80517) or the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (505 5th Avenue, #444, Des Moines, IA 50309). Larry and Susan feel immense gratitude for the care he received at the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy (315 18th Avenue, Hiawatha, IA 52233), which is another worthy consideration if one wishes to donate in Larry’s memory.