Larry Ernest Heinz passed away peacefully in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, at the age of 76. He had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer that quickly took a turn for the worse.
Larry was born in Everett, Washington, on Feb. 27, 1947, to Wilma (Billie) Richardson. They quickly moved to Spokane, Washington, where Larry would grow up and live until 1983. It was in Spokane that Larry developed a deep love for sports, especially baseball. He developed a strong admiration for his coaches, who became key male role models in his life. He graduated from North Central High School in 1965 and went on to play baseball and basketball at Spokane Community College, where he has since been inducted into the sports Hall of Fame. It was also here that Larry would meet his college sweetheart, Karla. They ended up going their separate ways, before reconnecting 46 years later and eventually marrying in 2015.
Following SCC, he enlisted in the Air Force and served his country in two tours of duty during the Vietnam War, both in country and in Thailand. Prior to his death, doctors believed that Agent Orange exposure during this time contributed to his cancer.
Upon returning from the war, Larry attended Whitworth College and Eastern Washington University where he earned his teaching degree. He met his first wife, Laurie, during this time, and they married and had their only child, Erik, on June 14, 1982. He relocated to Olympia a year later, teaching at St. Michael’s School. In 1985, he was hired as a teacher and head baseball coach at Rochester High School, where he began to build a 20-plus year legacy as both a coach and a teacher.
At Rochester, Larry taught social studies and health and was known as a master storyteller. Many of his lessons included personal anecdotes riddled with life lessons and memorable one-liners. Students fondly remember his Vietnam stories and looked forward to the annual Saigon Rendezvous trip to Olympia. His outgoing personality is something both remembered and celebrated as he would talk to anyone at any time, always leading with, “Hey, I’m Larry Heinz.”
Larry’s athletic background and fiery competitiveness saw him serve as the head baseball coach at Rochester from 1985 to 2002. During Larry’s tenure, the Warriors appeared in the state final four on five different occasions, placing fourth, second twice and bringing home two state championships. Larry always stressed being a “student of the game.” He saw things others wouldn’t, teaching his players the intangibles and taking pride in doing the little things right all the time (along with staying out of the big inning). His success at Rochester saw him awarded with the Washington state Coach of the Year honor in 1994 and eventually led to him being inducted into the Washington State Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
He was also an assistant coach in basketball and football and had a short stretch helping out with the golf team. One of his favorite coaching experiences was his time with the Centralia Senior Legion team when he helped lead the team to the state championship in 1994. He finished his coaching career as an assistant coach at Moeller High School in Cincinnati (Ken Griffey Jr.’s alma mater) with yet another state title in 2015. Larry finished his teaching career at Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona, where even up to his death, he was still providing a positive influence to all those around him and was a beloved teacher and colleague.
His mother, Wilma Richardson, preceded Larry in death in 1998. Surviving him are his son, Erik (Quinn); his granddaughters, Charlotte, Chandler and Sawyer; his wife, Karla, and her four children, Kera (Brian), Chris (Julie), Timothy (Daniel) and Sara; along with her four grandchildren, Lauren, Max, George and Charlie.
There will be a celebration of life for Larry at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, in the Rochester High School gymnasium. We ask those who plan on attending to wear Warrior or baseball gear. Larry will be laid to rest in a private ceremony for family at Grand Mound Cemetery prior to this.
