Lawrence John Junker

Lawrence John (Larry) Junker of Merritt Island, Florida died on July 3, 2021 while visiting Lafayette, Indiana. He was 89 years old. Larry led an active and industrious life mixed with plenty of love and lots of laughs. He was a devoted Christian, serving the Lord with all his heart. He was a loyal and faithful man and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Larry was born March 30,1932 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late John and Mary Junker. He graduated from Purdue University, Lafayette, IN in 1954 with a degree in Civil/Structural Engineering. While at Purdue, he met and married the love of his life, Ann Eleanor Williams.

Larry served our nation with honor in the US Army Corps of Engineers as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was assigned to help rebuild structures in Germany and France after the devastation caused by WWII. He was honorably discharged in 1956 and returned to Cleveland, Ohio with his growing family.

In 1963, as the Space Center was emerging from the swamps and orange groves in north Merritt Island, Larry was hired to work for NASA and relocated to Brevard County, FL. He initially developed roads, boundary fences, and other needed infrastructure to make the center secure. As Structural Project Manager, he worked on the construction of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Kennedy Press Site, and the Visitor’s Center. He had significant management roles in the Apollo program, Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the ISS until his retirement in 1991.

Larry was treated for prostate cancer in 1999. Unhappy with the traditional choices of treatment, he researched and chose a relatively new procedure called cryo-surgery. Larry became so knowledgeable about the treatment that the company hired him to be a consultant. He counseled more than a thousand patients individually and spoke at medical conferences and support groups all over the United States and Europe. He considered this an especially fulfilling aspect of his life.

At the center of his life was his relationship to Jesus Christ. He was very involved with several churches and ministries in the area over the years. He had a special connection to Air Mobile Ministries, an organization that supplies water purifiers to countries in desperate need of clean water. At one time serving as Chief Financial Officer, he poured a lot of his time, resources, and effort into this vital mission.

Being active and fit was a priority in Larry’s life. As a young man he was an accomplished gymnast at Purdue. He was an excellent water-skier, an avid diver, and a prolific lobster catcher. Snow skiing became Larry’s favorite sport as he grew older. He was able to hit the slopes in Utah every year until he was 87. He loved to play cards and dominoes, and he got a kick out of striking a bargain at a yard sale.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Frederick Junker and Mary Halek Junker, and his sister Beverly Junker Wells. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Ann Junker; his daughters Laura Williamson and Leigh (Randy) Halcom; and five grandchildren, Iris Williamson, John Williamson, Laura Kay Halcom, Lisa Halcom and Sam (Ashley) Halcom.

A public memorial service will be held at Georgianna Church on August 7, 2021 at 2:00 PM with a reception to follow at the Veteran’s Memorial Center in Merritt Island.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Air Mobile Ministries at airmobile.org or Operation Larry Clean Water at https://gofund.me/e2c20dd1.