Bethany, MO: Larry Don Real, 85, of Bethany, Missouri, was born on January 18,1940 in Harrison County at home of parents Donald Webster Real and Virginia May Dryer Real. He passed away August 9, 2025, at Liberty Hospital.
Larry received his baptism at the Gilman City United Methodist Church as a young man.
He received the Eagle Scout Award from the National Eagle Scout Association on October 20, 1955. He was inducted into the Tribe of Mic-O-Say, an honor camping society at Camp Geiger in the Pony Express Council. It is an honor society within the Boy Scouts of America, founded in 1925, that emphasizes leadership development and the principles of scouting.
After graduating from Gilman City High School in 1958, he attended the University of Missouri and studied Electrical Engineering. He joined the Air Force where he served for 21 years from 1962-83, including eight years assigned to the Defense Communications Agency with duty serving at the White House under the presidency of Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.
He graduated from the University of Nebraska with a BA in history in 1986 and worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs from 1987 -1998. He oversaw the installation of telecommunications systems in new Veteran hospitals. He traveled all over the United States and retired with 30 years of government service.
After retiring he moved to Bethany, Missouri where he was active in the American Legion and became a member of the Kiwanis where he was secretary/treasurer of the Reading is Fundamental project. He read to the students and then presented them each with their own book. He enjoyed reading, computing, and watching television.
Larry is survived by his sisters, Sharon Hillyard and Karon Ray, and his brother-in-law, Allan Ray; his nephews, David Ray, Kenneth Hillyard, Kent Hillyard, and his niece, Sherene Carpenter; six great nephews and one great niece and ten great-great nieces and nephews.
It’s enough to remember my brother as the good person he was, in both life and death.
Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, August 16, at the United Methodist Church, Gilman City, MO under the direction of Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO. Burial with Military Rites will follow in the Masonic Cemetery, Gilman City, MO. The family will receive friends from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the church. Memorial contributions for Larry may be made to Gilman City Masonic Cemetery in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.
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