Carl Wayne Larcom, 80, of Shawnee, Kansas, passed away August 4, 2023 at home surrounded by family. Born April 17, 1943, in McCune, Kansas. Carl, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather will be deeply missed.
Carl, Wayne to many, had a warm and kind-hearted personality, often having friends or family move in for various reasons. Children frequently would stop him to ask if he was Santa. Carl always had time for them and would shock their parents by calling them by name, few ever realized "his magic" was attention to detail as the parents would invariably use their name when telling them not to bother him. One year on a vacation to Hawaii, he was approached by a young man about 20, who wanted to take a picture with Santa on vacation at the beach, of course the answer was yes.
He had a deep love for his family and cherished spending time with them. Carl is survived by his loving wife, Mildred "Millie" Larcom; his son, Don, and daughter-in-law Deb Larcom; his daughter, Teresa Larcom; his daughter, Cynthia Larcom, and son-in-law John Segale; his grandchildren, Derrick and Mary Larcom, Dea and Jimmy Visitacion, Fiona Segale, Isabella Segale, Rory Segale; and his great-grandchildren, Elijah Larcom, Olivia Visitacion, Tesla Larcom, and Gabriella Visitacion.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ira Larcom; his mother, Josie Larcom; and his great-granddaughter, Lidda Jo Larcom.
He grew up on the family farm outside of McCune Kansas. Carl attended Green Elm, a one-room school, until 1955 before going to McCune Elementary and later graduated from McCune High School. Following his education, Carl served in the Navy from 1961 to 1962 on board the U.S.S. ADROIT (MSO-509) as SR-EF. He was a dedicated serviceman who contributed to the defense and protection of our nation during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
After his military service, Carl embarked on a successful career. He worked at various companies, including Tampko from 1962 to 1965, Beneficial Financial from 1965 to 1970, Credit Thrift from 1970 to 1976, and Wells-Battlestein Oil and Gas from 1977 to 1984. In 1984, Carl joined the Crawford Co. Appraisers Office and served diligently until his retirement in 2008.
Carl was an active member of the Chanute Jaycees and The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks 806 in Chanute. He held every office in the local Elks lodge at least once and was District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler in 1977-78. He enjoyed engaging in community service and making a positive impact on the lives of others.
A memorial service to honor Carl's life will be on September 16th at 10:45 a.m., graveside at the cemetery in Girard, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Foundation Fighting Blindness (fightingblindness.org) or the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org).
