Lawrence "Larry" William Harper, II

Lawrence “Larry” Harper was born to Lawrence Harper I and Helen (Wright) Harper at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Aurora, CO, on January 8, 1944. An only child, he grew up in Aurora and graduated from Aurora High School in 1962. During summers and after high school, Larry spent a lot of time in the mountains of Colorado and Montana. He returned to Colorado and became a master meat cutter. He met Marsha Byrne and they were married; to this union he was blessed with sons Derrick and Scott.

In 1980, he met Sally (Hanes) Clarkston, and they married in 1981. He lovingly accepted Sally’s children, Kelly (Clarkston) Witchey and Todd Clarkston as his own. This fatherly relationship carried on throughout the rest of his life.

Larry and Sally settled in Denver, and together they owned and managed Smoker’s Inn, a high-end tobacco shop until his retirement. After he retired, Larry became very active in his home church, Red Rocks Baptist, and was a dedicated volunteer with the Lakewood Police Department where he devoted time to the prison ministry and other volunteer efforts on the force.

Due to health challenges, Larry and Sally moved to Woodward, OK, in November 2020. They met many new friends, and were blessed to become part of a close-knit church family at Ascent Church in Fargo, OK. Larry was active in different Bible studies with both Ascent and Woodward Church of the Nazarene, and enjoyed the groups he was part of. He accepted Christ at an early age and loved the Lord all his life.

Larry had a great sense of humor. He enjoyed a good cup of coffee, and did not like chocolate in the least! Larry was an entrepreneur and businessman at heart, and had many occupations. He loved telling stories; among his favorites were those of when he rode horses in the mountains as a young man. He had a deep love of animals, especially horses and dogs. Larry touched many hearts over the years, and his legacy is a testament to his character and the type of man he was.

In his last days on earth, Larry was visited by his family and many friends - a blessing not many are afforded. These special individuals reminisced and prayed with him, and he felt incredibly blessed before his passing on March 27, 2025. He was 81.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, former wife Marsha (Byrne) Harper, and son-in-law William Witchey.

He is survived by wife Sally Harper of the home; daughter Kelly Witchey and partner Leon Woods of Gage, OK; sons Scott Harper and partner Cassie of MO, Derrick Harper of CO, and Todd Clarkston of CO; granddaughter Brianna (Witchey) Chesney and husband Nathan Chesney of Woodward, OK; grandchildren Kris and Hope Clarkston and their mother Chanida of CO; grandchildren Kyle, Kevin, Desiree, Megan, Joshua, Tristan, and Justin; and many friends he has loved over the years.

Memorial donations may be made to Fargo Ascent Church Youth Groupor Colorado Prison Ministriesc/o Shaw Funeral HomePO Box 276Vici, OK 73859

A funeral service was held for Larry on April 1, 2025, in Oklahoma.  Graveside Services and Interment will be at Golden Cemetery, Golden, Colorado on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 1:00 pm.