Larry Dean Nootz

Larry Dean Nootz, the youngest of seven children, was born on November 13, 1947 in Pleasant Dale, Nebraska to Erwin C. and Bertha H. (Cameron) Nootz. He transitioned from this life in the early morning hours of April 19, 2025. He was preceded in death by both his parents; his siblings Raymond Nootz, Virginia (Ken) Borgman, Richard Nootz, Joyce (WT) Haley, Jean Lutz, and Lois Minzel and their spouses; his nephews Kevin Minzel, Dan Haley, and Tom Nootz; his great-nephew Lucas Borgman; his father- and mother-in-law Herbie and Betty (Bach) Sengstake; and his brother-in-law Bob Bain.

Larry is survived by his wife Terry (Sengstake); daughters and son-in-laws Michelle (Curt) VanLaningham, Lisa Carpenter, and Melissa (Mitch) Nootz; grandchildren Tyler (Brittany) Summerlin, Bethany (Brady) Potratz; Jacob (Taylor) VanLaningham; Noah Carpenter; Esmé Grady, Cooper Carpenter; and Iris Grady; great-granddaughter Mila Summerlin; the pending arrival of his first great-grandson Prewitt Summerlin; and a plethora of Nootz and Sengstake nieces and nephews. He was also survived by his sister-in-laws Debi (Michael) Bain-Lichter and Judi (Gary) Schmidt. Larry also held a special place in his heart for his bonus grandson Derek Summerlin and his daughter Olivia.

Larry grew up as a farm boy from Malcolm, Nebraska and took pride in caring for his family’s dairy cows. He was raised in the Methodist church where he was taught to love God through giving service to others. He was proud of growing up in the country, playing 8-man football, and occasionally riding his favorite horse, Pal, to the one-room schoolhouse he attended. After graduating high school, Larry was married to his lifelong sweetheart Terry, and convinced her to leave the big city of Lincoln to raise their three daughters on an acreage near Pleasant Dale where the Nootz family settled many generations earlier. Larry retired as Lieutenant Colonel from the Air National Guard, rising through the ranks from airman basic, proudly serving his country in various deployments around the world. His upbringing on the farm shaped him to be an animal lover. He was always content to pet cows, horses, dogs, cats, and was even known for returning a lost lamb to its farmer in the family car. He passed along this love of animals to his daughters, and also taught them how to garden and preserve food, bake from scratch, home renovation/repair, and required they could perform basic maintenance on their cars as teenagers.

After retiring from the military and raising his three daughters, Larry went to Doane College and earned his Bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication enjoying a post-military career where he could invest time in his hobbies including getting his pilot’s license, woodworking, camping with family, and endless backyard tinkering. From childhood through grandparenting Larry was always known for his love of fishing, and he could never pass up a game of cards or a board game with his family. His all-time favorite past-times were driving across the country with Terry to visit their daughters; giving his grandchildren his complete attention; and creating special gifts for those he loved. These included a second story hideout for grandkids in the backyard woodshop, wooden chests for each of his daughters and granddaughters, custom tall tree swings for grandpa’s house, and a zip line through the pine trees. Larry’s sense of adventure means he also generally disregarded written instructions, written recipes, maps or directions of any kind, and yet somehow ended with the result he had been intending.

Most importantly, Larry leaves behind a lifetime of warm memories with the love-of-his-life Terry and a legacy including sage advice, calm counsel, jokes galore, and a family that will miss him dearly.

As Larry’s family, we want to give the most sincere thank you to the Madonna St. Jane de Chantal Long Term Care Service’s staff. You were our chosen family, and we could not have navigated the last four years of his life without your loving support. Thank you for caring for him and treating him with dignity and kindness.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to:

Pleasant Dale Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 128, Pleasant Dale, NE 68423

The Cat House, P.O. Box 23145, Lincoln, NE 68542 or online at https://thecathouse.org

A Celebration of Life will occur at a future date.