Larry Phil Mccracken

Larry McCracken, 87, of Lenexa, Kansas, passed away Friday, December 1, 2023, at Westchester Village of Lenexa, Lenexa, Kansas.

Services will be held 1:00 pm, Thursday, December 7, 2023, at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa.

Interment Highland Cemetery.

He was born Tuesday, October 6, 1936, the son of Phil and Letha May (Womble) McCracken in Ottawa, Kansas.

Larry graduated from Ottawa High School with the class of 1954.

He married Delpha Hoobing and they had four children, Kevin McCracken, Mark McCracken, Angie Weller, and when he was forty, Elizabeth Kelley. Larry and all of his kids were delivered by the same doctor. Larry later married Kay Wood, and is survived by his four children; wife Kay McCracken; her two children Erin Clark and Shane Wood; and seven grandchildren.

Larry was an excellent athlete when he was young. He shared the title of state champion in the pole vault with his teammate from Ottawa High. He played baseball and track, and later coached baseball, basketball and football. He was an avid hunter and an excellent marksman. He trained his own hunting dogs and introduced many young people to the sport of hunting, always emphasizing gun safety.

He graduated from the Baker University and initially began a teaching career in Hutchison, Kansas, and later at Brookwood Elementary in Overland Park. After several years of teaching, he began working for the 3M Company in sales. He later founded Professional Studio Representatives (PSR) along with his son Mark.

Later in life he became an avid golfer. As with all sports, he was good at that too. He loved watching golf as well as playing. It was something he and Kay did together.

There was always challenges with a blended family, but Larry and Kay overcame those. Together they enjoyed each other’s children and grandchildren. Larry always held a special relationship with Shane and Sarah’s son Tristan.