Larry Invie, of Prior Lake, passed away suddenly the afternoon of Saturday, September 15, 2018 at the age of 68. He will be deeply missed by all who loved him. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Thursday, September 20, 2018 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation (4565 Pleasant Street SE) in Prior Lake. Military Honors will be provided by the Prior Lake VFW Honor Guard. Larry’s family will act as pallbearers, and Larry will be laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
On May 12, 1950, Lawrence Claude Invie was born to parents Claude & Ethel (Tague) Invie. Larry was the oldest of two and loved growing up in Columbia Heights with his sister Claudia. As a boy, Larry learned the importance of family from his parents. In high school, Larry was a talented athlete and excelled in wrestling.
After graduating from Columbia Heights High School in 1968, he enlisted in the Armed Forces. Larry proudly served in the Navy from 1968 – 1972. He was stationed in Hawaii for three years. But it wasn’t all sunshine for Larry. He worked on Naval submarines and was proud to be aboard the first US Submarine to enter the Arctic Circle. After being honorably discharged from active duty, Larry frequently looked back on his Naval days with pride. He especially loved telling the story when his submarine was able to sneak directly under a Russian submarine undetected.
Following his military career, Larry got a job in the computer room at Honeywell. He liked the work, but loved his coworkers…one coworker in particular. Elaine Heinold also worked in the computer room. It seemed she couldn’t escape Larry. Every time she’d turn around, there he was. After some time, Larry finally got his courage up and asked Elaine out on a date. A year later, they were married on March 2, 1974.
They settled in Blaine to begin their lives together. Their marriage was blessed with two wonderful children, Sarah and Chris. As a family they enjoyed spending time on the lakes. They took frequent trips to Larry’s family cabin on North Long Lake. There Larry taught his kids to fish and water ski. They later spent countless hours fishing, boating and skiing on Spring Lake when Larry & Elaine relocated their family to the Prior Lake area.
Larry always worked hard to provide a good life for his family. After leaving Honeywell, he began working in the trucking industry. He worked his way up to a management position with Yellow Freight. He was a hard worker and liked by his colleagues. Later in life, Larry and Elaine purchased Pizza Plus in Belle Plaine. They ran the pizza shop for a number of years until Larry’s full-time position relocated them to Sioux Falls. Eventually they moved back to Minnesota to care for Larry’s father. Once again, they settled in Prior Lake.
Family was always the most important thing in Larry’s life. He loved spending time with his kids and grandkids. Larry was the kind of guy who’d give you the shirt off his back. He had a great sense of humor and was a bit of a practical joker. Larry will be remembered always for his kind heart and generous nature.
Larry is survived by his wife, Elaine; children, Sarah (Jon Francis) Rodriguez and Chris (Valerie) Invie; grandchildren, Tre, Caitlyn, Jasmine, Maggie, Christian, Alex & Jocelyn; sister, Claudia; other loving relatives and friends. Larry is preceded by his parents, Claude & Ethel Invie.
