Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Friend, and Blessing to All
Larry went home to Jesus on May 8, 2020.
Larry was born September 2, 1935 in Centerville, Iowa, to Raymond P. Hillyard and Margaret C. Hillyard. He graduated from Carthage High School in Carthage, Missouri and attended Southwest Missouri State University.
He married Kathleen K. Miles in 1958. Two daughters were born of the marriage, Vicki Lynn Hillyard-Brunner and Sharon Kay Hillyard-Weaver.
After a number of years of being single he found his soulmate and married Lucy Ann Horn-Hillyard on February 14, 1987. When he and Lucy married, he also gained a wonderful daughter, Jenny Horn–Fickes, and a family he cherished. Larry and Lucy enjoyed more than 33 years of marriage and a bond that is as deep as the ocean and as vast as space. Anyone who knows Larry and Lucy, knows love.
Larry was a career law enforcement officer. He was a member of the Springfield, Missouri Police Department, the Joplin, Missouri Police Department and the Oklahoma City Police Department prior to entering the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Academy. He graduated from the 25thPatrol Academy on September 20, 1969. Throughout his career with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol he was assigned to work a number of areas across Oklahoma from Sand Springs to Oklahoma City. He was assigned to the drivers’ license testing station in Jenks when he retired in 1989. He then began a second career with the State of Oklahoma Department of Public Safety as a Drivers License Examiner on October 1, 1989. He retired from DPS on May 31, 2019 after working for the State of Oklahoma for a total of almost 50 years.
Together, Larry and Lucy enjoyed traveling and riding motorcycles. They were active in their church, Praise Center Ministries in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Larry loved the Lord and gave his life to Christ. In 1997 they joined the Christian Motorcycle Association, assisting in the ministry at secular bike rallies across the State since then. In 2003, they attended the 100th Harley Davidson Anniversary bash in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He looked forward to the time they spent traveling to Pennsylvania and spending time with Lucy’s family there. He loved being outdoors and active. Fitness was important to him and throughout his life he maintained a rigorous workout schedule. On any given day he could be found in the gym or training with Smiley Elmore, Jr. or attending Ken Zachary’s (Pastor Z) bootcamp class. Even in the recent quarantine pandemic, he could be found in the garage of their home lifting weights. He loved books by Louis L’Amour, Western movies, and studying andlearning about most anything historical.
Larry was a veteran of the Army National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. He was also a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants and the Oklahoma Society of Mayflower Descendants as a 13th generation descendant from James Chilton, Mayflower passenger and signer of the Mayflower Compact.
He is survived by his loving wife Lucy of the home, his daughter Vicki and her husband Jeff Brunner of Rose, OK, his daughter Sharon and David Parker of Sand Springs, OK, his daughter Jenny and her husband Darryl Fickes of Orrstown, PA, grandson Dustin Brunner and his wife Jessicaand great-grandsons Jace and Caden of Verdigris, OK; grandson Matthew Brunner and great-granddaughter Nevaeh of Pryor, OK; grandson Miles Brunner and his wife Tristin and great-grandson Sammy and great-granddaughter Logan of Rose, OK. He was preceded in death by his parents Raymond and Margaret and by an infant brother who passed away at birth.
Services are under the direction of Traditions Funeral and Cremations Service, 35 South Main, Kellyville, OK, 74039. Celebration of life will be held Friday, May 15, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Praise Center Ministries, 5672 E. Hwy 117, Sapulpa, OK 74066. In lieu of flowers, tribute donations can be made to COHPS (Concerned Oklahomans for the Highway Patrol Society) at www.cohps.org or at COHPS, P.O. Box 3258, Shawnee, OK 74802-3258 or to the Oklahoma State Troopers Association, P.O. Box 852160, Yukon, OK 73085.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10.
