Lawrence Anthony Kraft

May 5, 1925 – August 30, 2022

Larry Kraft served so many different roles in his life, and performed all of them exceptionally well: husband, father, grandfather, uncle, educator, mentor, philosopher, athlete, and musician. He was a wonderful man who will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and former students.

Larry was born May 5, 1925, in Spokane, as the fifth of ten children. He grew up during the Great Depression, attending St. Frances Assisi for grade school and starting work as soon as possible to help support his family, including working as a golf caddy at the Spokane Country Club during grade school. He enjoyed high school at Gonzaga Prep but, when his father died when he was 16 years old, he left high school to work for Pan American Airways as an aviation mechanic. Thereafter, at 17 years old, he joined the U.S. Navy. From March 1943 through December 1945, he served during World War II as an Aviation Machinist Mate, 2nd Class, and was stationed in Kodiak and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Pasco and Bremerton, Washington.

After the war, Larry obtained his high school diploma and went on to college, first at University of Washington, where he was on the track team, and then at St. Martin’s College, where he was elected student body president and sang in the Schola Cantorum (the Latin choir) before he obtained his B.A. in Philosophy in 1952. Thereafter, he began an interesting and varied set of jobs: an industrial engineer at Boeing, a detective with the Pinkerton agency, a fisherman for Libby’s in Alaska, an inspector with the Washington State Survey and Rating Bureau, a residential real estate agent, and a logger at Potlatch Forest in northern Idaho.

His next professional adventure was teaching, and that is where he found his calling. He student taught at Rogers High School in 1961, taught English at Bowdish Junior High School from 1961-1962, then at Central Valley High School from 1962-1963 and Shadle High School from 1963-1966. He became a professor of communication studies at Eastern Washington University in 1966 and also served as Director of Forensics, which meant he became the coach of the debate team. Larry taught at EWU for 25 years. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching his students, including in his signature course Speech and Social Control. During his tenure, he earned a Masters in Teaching from Whitworth College in 1969 and his debate team won tournaments and honors across the country. Upon retiring from EWU in 1991, he was granted the title Professor Emeritus. He helped to create the EWU Retirees organization and became its president, and continued his active membership in the Wednesday Night Club, a group of current and retired EWU faculty who gather to present speeches on topics of their choice. He also volunteered as the junior varsity girl’s tennis coach at North Central High School.

Larry had 35 nieces and nephews, and many more great and great-great nieces and nephews. As the last of his brothers and sisters to get married and have children, he spent lots of time with them. Uncle Lawrence served as a babysitter, coach, tutor, and emergency transport to the hospital when they were injured. He stayed engaged with them during school, in conversations over a cup of coffee, and playing with their children. Larry always drew his big extended family together around campfires and at picnics playing his guitar and singing old country songs.

In 1961, Larry met Peggy Dorreen Raun, who was a history teacher at Rogers High School. They became engaged four months later, and were married four months after that, on November 24, 1961. Married very happily for over 60 years, Peggy was the love of Larry’s life. They shared many interests including teaching, family, and travel. They traveled extensively together, at first around the United States and later around the world, visiting more than 35 countries between 1981-2018. Larry and Peggy had one child, a daughter named Karla, and Larry was a wonderful dad. He taught her how to ride a bike, play board and card games, play tennis, run through sprinklers, and give a speech. He was always there for homework and sports competitions and inspiring confidence. Larry similarly was an amazing grandfather to his two granddaughters, rocking them to sleep as babies, helping them learn how to ride their scooters and bikes, reading them stories, and celebrating their school successes.

Athletics were a big part of Larry’s life. He ran track in college, played handball and racquetball, played golf with family and friends, and regularly went for seven mile runs in Riverside State Park. During the 1970s, Larry discovered tennis, which became his sport of choice. He played at Central Park Racquet Club and the Spokane Club as well as in the Spokane Tennis League, and valued the many friendships he made while playing tennis. In 2001, he won a silver medal playing doubles tennis in the Senior Olympics.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Marcus Kraft and Josephine Mary Schuster Kraft, as well as eight of his siblings. He is survived by his wife, Peggy; his daughter, Karla, and her husband, Anderee Berengian; his granddaughters Aleah and Ava; and his brother James Kraft.

A funeral and memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 17, at 1:00 at the Sunset Chapel at Fairmount Cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BallandDodd.com for the Kraft family.