Rev. Deacon Dwight T. Larcomb Jr.
Heaven welcomed home Rev. Deacon Dwight T. Larcomb Jr. on December 20, 2022 after fighting glioblastoma cancer for as long as he could.
Through it all, his incredible spirit and love for everyone he met neither waned nor faltered. He was so many things to so many people that no mere obituary could encapsulate the totality of his incredible life of service to others. He often told his children that priorities are to God, country and family in that order.
Dwight was born in a farmhouse west of Harpster on August 23, 1934. He grew up during the Depression, mostly in Upper Sandusky hunting and fishing every chance he got. He ran track in high school, worked part time for Lyon’s Grocery and drove truck for Neumeister Bakery. He even drove a milk delivery truck early mornings before school when he was 15 years old covering for his father’s back injury until it healed.
After graduating high school from Upper Sandusky in 1952, Dwight interrupted his college career joining the U.S. Army in 1954. He was trained as a German linguist in Monterey, CA before his assignment to an Army Intelligence Unit in Frankfort, Germany under the supervision of Army Security Agency (that later became part of the National Security Agency) during the Hungarian Uprising. He returned home three years later enrolling at Ohio Northern University under the G.I. Bill.
He married his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Kear, in 1959 and graduated with his Pharmacy degree in 1961. His true-life partner in all things, his beloved Kathy preceded him in death on Christmas Eve day in 2005 after 46 years of marriage.
A lifelong thirst for knowledge drove him to read the entire encyclopedia from cover to cover, countless novels plus nonfiction materials on a multitude of subject areas. He furthered his studies at a master’s degree level through the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, leading to his ordination to the Deaconate in 1986.
As a Catholic Deacon, he was officiant at baptisms, weddings and numerous graveside interments serving as comforter, counselor and friend to all for the next thirty-five plus years. His smiling face, comforting words, encouragement and positive attitude were known to many through an unbelievable number of masses, hospital and nursing home visits, as well as taking communion to people no longer able to leave their homes.
He had a special love for education and the students and staff of St. Mary School in Marion. One parishioner recently told a story of a time where the school’s finance committee gave teachers well-deserved raises after the Deacon gave a sermon at Mass extolling the virtues of their hard work and dedication. Dwight also served as Chaplain of the Marion chapter of the Knights of Columbus where he was also a 4th Degree Knight. An avid outdoorsman since his youth, he served for two years as Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 50 carving out time despite working 12-hour days as a pharmacist as he owned his own business. He also enjoyed bowling and golf participating in various leagues during the 1960s, 70s and early 1980s.
He maintained a large garden for many years giving away most of the produce that he harvested. He canned numerous items including jellies, jams, pickles, tomato juice, etc. He was an unbelievable baker of pies especially cherry, peach, Dutch apple and mincemeat, his favorite. As if all that was not enough, he and Kathy both attained the distinction of Life Master in Bridge making many friends while traveling to many tournaments throughout the United States.
Dwight loved to sing even though, according to his children, he could not carry a tune in a wheelbarrow. He would crank up the stereo and sing opera at the top of his lungs on Sunday mornings until the children were driven from their beds, dressed and ready for church. The rest of the day was always dedicated to the family leaving work for the other six days of the week.
He was the oldest son of Dwight T. Larcomb Sr. and Cora I. Swartz who predeceased him. Siblings Barbara (Irven) Kieffer and Dorothy (Lou) Edgar sisters from Dwight, Sr’s first marriage (Helen Lavely) also predeceased him. Surviving siblings are Anne (Bob) Sebenoler, David (Ruth) Larcomb and Linda (John) Schwarzell.
Raised in Trinity United Church of Christ in Upper Sandusky, Dwight converted to Catholicism before marrying Kathleen. They had two girls and three boys. Their children are Margaret (Michael) Maggio, St. Thomas, KY; Stephen (Sandra) Larcomb, Marion; Douglas Larcomb, Fredericksburg, MD; Christine (Douglas) Schiefer, Gahanna; and Phillip (Dana) Larcomb, Charles Town, WV. Dwight also had twenty-five grandchildren and thirty-seven great grandchildren.
Visitation will be Monday December 26, 2022 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall 1232 E Center St, Marion, OH 43302, where there will be a rosary service at 7:00 pm. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary Church in Marion on Tuesday December 27th at 10:00 a.m., Father Thomas Buffer will officiate. Military Honors will be given by the Marion Area United Veterans Council. Burial will follow at the Wharton-Richland Union Cemetery.
The Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.stofcheck-ballinger.com.
Memorial contributions may be made in Deacon Dwight’s name to St. Mary Elementary School and/or the St. Vincent De Paul Society in Marion.
The family wants to thank all those who welcomed Dwight into their lives as Deacon, Pharmacist and friend wherever they were in their own life journey. You enriched his life as much as he did yours.
Stofcheck-Ballinger Funeral Home