Edward M. "Ted" Larrabee

Edward M “Ted” Larrabee passed away Tuesday evening, 10:22 pm, at the Rowan Regional Medical Center. Ted was born January 28, 1920 in Clinton, Iowa, the eldest son of Edward Ray Larrabee of Clinton and Kathryn Pearson of Keswick, England where they met after World War I. In 1940 in Chicago, Ted enlisted in the US Army Field Artillery and fought in New Guinea, Luzon, and the Liberation of the Philippines. He re-enlisted in1946, and again saw combat 1951-1953 in the Korean Conflict. Then in 1954, at Fort Bragg, he left the Army as a Master Sergeant and moved to Salisbury. On February 18, 1951, in St. John’s Lutheran Church, he married Merle Cruse (Mowery), adopted daughter of Walter and Ada Rattz of 601 W. Council St. As a Salisbury resident, he worked many years as super salesman for Delta Electric, now Desco, Inc. of 1205 Lincolnton Rd. It was during his time at Desco that he became known as “Teddy the Bear” and became loved by many as a true, give-you-the-shirt-off-of-his back kind of super friend to all. During his youth, Ted was a gifted athlete, a pitcher on an Army post baseball team, and he actively played golf well into his seventies. He counts as his true, like-family friends the gang at Desco, the older regulars at McCanless Golf Course, and a host of others, all around Salisbury. Ted was preceded in death by his brothers Frank of Aurora, Il and Charles R of Pasco, WA; his sister Edith DeMeyer of Gordon, WI; his son Charles E “Chad”; and his wife of 40 years Merle of Salisbury. He is survived by two sisters Marjorie Nelson of Aurora, IL and Patricia Kohler of Pasco, WA; his daughter Margaret Kathryn Larrabee of Houston; and his adopted sons Donald Mowery of Dallas and Baxter Mowery of Salisbury. Hundreds of kids call him “Grandpa”, his own and others, and he loved them all. AN INCREDIBLE MAN WHO LED A GREAT LIFE. WE WILL MISS HIM. A graveside service will be conducted 2:00 PM – Friday (Apr. 20) at Chestnut Hill Cemetery with the Rev. David Nelson, minister of St. John’s Lutheran Church officiating. Military graveside rites will be conducted by the Rowan County Veterans Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to North Carolina DAV., VA Regional Office, Federal Bldg 251 North Main St., Rm. 115 Winston-Salem, NC 27102

Edward M. "Ted" Larrabee

January 28, 1920 - April 17, 2012