Dr. Larry D. Pettegrew

Larry was born in Danville, Illinois on July 26, 1943, to Harry and Marjorie Pettegrew. He and his younger brother, Hal, were blessed to be raised in a loving, Christ-centered home. Among the many friendships Larry developed in the Church’s youth group, none proved more important than his relationship with Linda Ann Burke. Their teen-age romance developed into a 57-year long marriage.

Larry graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1965. He continued his studies at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, MN. He earned his M.R.E., M.Div., and Th.M. at Central. He completed his Th.D. in Historical Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He became a professor and later a Dean at Central. In 1995, he accepted a call to the Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, CA as a Professor of Theology. He taught there for 12 years. In 2007, Larry became the Dean and Executive Vice President of Shepherds Theological Seminary. He just recently stepped away from all teaching and administrative duties to focus solely on writing. Larry has taught thousands of students over the last six decades and has written multiple books and dozens of articles.

Larry was best known for his wisdom, kindness, humility and his love of sweets. His impact and influence on others will continue to ripple into many future generations.

He is survived by his loving wife, Linda Ann, daughters, Joy (Stephen) Christensen, Jill (Aaron) Kilian, and son, Justin (Natalie) Pettegrew. Grandchildren: Jonathan, Brian (Madison), and Jason Christensen, Audrianne, D.J. and Jacob Kilian, Collin and Julia Pettegrew. His brother Hal (Sharon) Pettegrew, his nieces Janelle, Jennifer, and nephew, David and their families. He is preceded in death by his parents Harry and Marjorie Pettegrew and sister, Sharon.

A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 2:00 PM at The Shepherd’s Church in Cary.

In lieu of flowers, we kindly suggest making a donation to the Dr. Pettegrew Scholarship fund at the Shepherds Theological Seminary (https://shepherds.edu/in-memoriam-dr-larry-pettegrew/).

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