Elmer Al Larkin, 80, of Syracuse, died Sept. 18, 2010, in his residence.
He was born July 20, 1930, in Burt, Mich., to Ellsworth and Mary Grace Near Larkin. On Oct. 16, 1954, he married Patricia Ann Kirby. They divorced in 1975. On Aug. 21, 1979, he married Mary Helen Fox, who died in August 2006.
He resided in Saginaw County, Mich., for 37 years (three years in Big Rapids, Mich.), moving to Syracuse in 1973. After graduating from high school in 1949, he worked as a Mack Truck mechanic in Michigan for several years and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951. He served from 1951-55, traveling to Libya, Rome, Greece, Italy, France and Germany starting new generator versions for F-80 and F-86 aircrafts. Upon discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he purchased a 180-acre farm which had grown to 700 acres by 1968. His farm produced sugar beets, navy beans, soybeans, pickles, corn and wheat. He eventually acquired health problems and sold the farm. In 1968, he went to work for Aero-Craft Boat Co., St. Charles, Mich., as mold room foreman and was later foreman of boat assembly. When Aero-Craft was sold to Browning, he became partial owner and plant engineer of Michi-Craft Canoe Co. from 1970-73. In 1973, he joined Sea Nymph as general superintendent and remained there for 19 years, retiring in 1992. He started a business, Fenders by Midwest, building reproduction tractor fenders.
He was a life member and former chaplain of Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of Eagles Lodge American Legion, all in Syracuse. He belonged to two tractor clubs, the Northern Indiana Two-Cylinder Club and Echoes of the Past, which he co-founded in 1992.
Surviving are five daughters: Kathleen (and spouse Gordon) Comer, Tampa, Fla.; Colleen (and spouse John) Rosso, Manchester, Md.; Annette (and spouse Jeri) Good, Elsie, Mich.; and Janine (and spouse Robert) Freier, Birch Run, Mich.; Linda (and spouse Jim) Freeland, Richland, Mich.; a son, Robert Larkin, Syracuse; a stepdaughter, Diann Garnell, Augusta, Ga.; two stepsons, Curt (and spouse Beverly) Smith, Syracuse, and Dean (and spouse Aimee) Smith, Waterford, Mich.; 21 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; a brother, Bruce (and spouse Patricia) Larkin, Burt, Mich., and a sister, Alice (and spouse Jerry) Breiski, Burt. He was preceded in death by four sisters and a brother.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Eastlund Funeral Home, Syracuse, with Pastor Harlan Steffen officiating. Burial will be in Syracuse Cemetery with full military graveside rites.
Calling is from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and one hour prior to the service Wednesday at the funeral home.
