Dan LaRose obit

Marvin Daniel LaRose

He was not on the list.

LUTHER — On Saturday, April 27, 2019 Marvin Daniel “Dan/Danny‘ LaRose, loving husband and father of six children, passed away at the age of 80.

Dan was born on February 8, 1939 in Crystal City, Missouri. He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1960 from the University of Missouri where he starred in football and track, earning unanimous All-American End honors, finishing eighth in the 1960 Heisman Trophy Vote. After being drafted by the Detroit Lions, he played six seasons in the National Football League. In 2009, he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Dan married Janet Carpenter on October 5, 1979, and together they raised a blended family of six children.

Dan was known to live every day to the fullest. He had a variety of interests, notably volunteering his time at Pine River Track and Field; dominating the Senior Olympics; spending time with family and animals alike; collecting Theodore Roosevelt memorabilia; and indulging in a variety of foods. Dan’s comical and entertaining sense of humor and ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone will remain warming the hearts of all he encountered. His humor and personality were qualities that were equally matched by his vibrant spirit, his admiration for life and his compassionate heart.

Dan was preceded in death by his father, Marvin, and his mother, Johanna.

He is survived by his wife, Janet; his six children, Shelli (Dave) Bentley, Jay (Deb) LaRose, Kim (Todd) Prey, Chas (Lisa) Carpenter, Amy (Dedrick) Casab, Laurie (Michael) Carpenter; 13 grandkids; and his companion dog, Willy.

A visitation will be held Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at the LeRoy Methodist Church from 5 to 7 p.m. A second visitation will be held Thursday, May 2, 2019 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. followed by the funeral service at the church. A luncheon will follow the funeral service at the Luther Lion’s Club.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to Luther United Methodist Church Steeple Fund, 315 State St., Luther, Michigan 49656.

While attending the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, LaRose played for coach Dan Devine's Missouri Tigers football team from 1958 to 1960. He led the team in receiving yardage as a sophomore and again as a senior, and was a first-team all-conference selection after those seasons. He was a key member of the 1960 Tigers team that posted an undefeated 11–0 record, claimed the Big Eight Conference championship, won the 1961 Orange Bowl, and finished No. 4 in the Coaches Poll. Following his senior season in 1960, LaRose was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American at the end position, having been a first-team selection of the Associated Press (AP), the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), The Sporting News, United Press International (UPI), Central Press Association (CPA), Time magazine, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was inducted into the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.

The Detroit Lions chose LaRose in the second round, 23rd overall pick, of the 1961 NFL Draft, and he played for the Lions from 1961 to 1963. He was also a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1964), San Francisco 49ers (1965) and Denver Broncos (1966). In six professional seasons, LaRose played in 65 regular season games.