Funeral Service for Jim Larrick

Jim (James) Larrick passed at the beginning of this month on March 7th.  I received the news when my brother showed up at my door looking like a ghost, telling me our father had passed earlier that morning. I couldn't believe him. I still don't even after having seen our father laying clearly at rest in a crematorium. He was only 59 years old and it was a shock to everyone. He passed away of a sudden heart attack in our back yard in front of our dog Pepper who loved him fiercely. We thought he had so many more years in front of him after receiving surgery from stints, but the stress he was under pushed his heart too far. We are all in shock, and completley lost right now. It is so unfair. My father spent most of his life trying to make others happy even at the expense of his mental and physical health. He spent the majority of his life in an unhappy marriage, trying to mend what was already shattered in their love to create a positive home for his three children. Though much of it was unhappy, his efforts to tough through life for my brothers and me is a deed I can never repay, especially now.  He got redemption for his hard work when a move to Arizona after a rough divorce led him into the arms of someone he only could describe as the love of his life, Pam Larrick. I got to witness something many never will see in their lifetimes. I saw the light come back into my dad's eyes as he fell deeper and deeper in love with the woman who soon became my stepmom. I witnessed their love blossom into marriage and commitment and so on, they had built a life together, One they planned to live out long into the future. Sadly, that has been ripped away from both of them. My dad had triumphed over all his hurdles in life. He tore his way out of an abusive relationship still having love to give, a long-awaited procedure placing stints in his heart, and raising three children, seeing through that each of us could make our place in the world by ourselves. He witnessed his eldest son marry and, unfortunately, left the world only days after the birth of his first grandchild, Thomas Larrick. His loss has come as a great tragedy to our family. Our father will leave behind a mourning, loving wife, three children, a stepchild,  and the rest of his large blended family. As well, he is leaving behind many heartbroken members of his team at work who he cared for endlessly, and who he talked so highly of. We will never forget the countless laughs and beautiful moments that we were able to share with our father. He was a man deserving of the utmost respect, and he lived a very honorable life. He was extremely dependable and loyal to everyone he loved. He was the type of man who could be wronged in so many ways by someone and still give them love and support. He never judged anyone and treated everyone kindly. He was someone who was so easy to get along with. He didn't care for the materialistic things in life, and instead, put all of his love and attention into taking care of those around him. He worried about everyone and everything, but himself, to his last day, and we are all beyond moved by his dedication to the community.  Our dad was a "do-er." He never hesitated on anything. If there was something that needed fixing, building, wood-working, car repairs, etc., he was the man. My dad was a jack of all trades, and unlike many, a master of them too. He was magic that way. He could figure out how to do anything he put his mind to and was a man full of great potential. Not only was he full of potential, but he lived up to it in every sense. He worked himself to the bone and turned down many promotions in his lifetime to be there for his family and not traveling constantly. Our dad never complained a single time in his life, although he had many reasons to be upset with the cards he was dealt. He was just always at ease with life, and his calmness radiated in every room. He instilled a deep passion for nature, cooking, craftsmanship, compassion, and love in every soul he touched in his life. His passion inspired so many people to do better for themselves. He was largely unaware of his magnetism and so humble in every sense of the word. We will not forget long hikes with our dad, family gatherings full of laughter at our grandpa's cabin, and all the beautiful memories we made with him and our new family in Arizona. His absence has left our family devastated, and we are all choosing to live our lives in our father's honor. We have very big shoes to fill. All of this being said, our father passing away has taken away significantly from the financial stability of our stepmother. Our father was supposed to retire at the age of 63 in order to receive his full retirement package from State Farm. While he was close to reaching that point, tragically he was unable to. This has felt like a very cruel waking nightmare. Even though he was only a few years away, every year closer to his retirement was hundreds of dollars more a month that would have been left for him and my step-mother to support themselves off of.  We know everything will work out, but we know our step-mother will be greatly burdened by the costs of funeral services coming up here soon. We want to do everything we can in our power to ensure she has some extra money so she isn't struggling in any way or her side of our family in AZ. Our father always wanted her and us to be taken care of, so we want to do right by him and raise as much money as we can in this time so no one is left struggling. We greatly appreciate any support in all of this and extend love to everyone who chips in. To anyone who has extended food or financial support in these times, we ask you just divert that money to this fund and are extremely appreciative of whatever we receive. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for all of the kind. loving messages we have received from friends.