Lewis County Auditor Larry Grove, 69, suffered a severe heart attack at about 9 p.m. on Friday and was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
As of Wednesday morning, Grove had received surgery, giving him an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), started physical therapy and his doctors were eyeing later in the day to release him from the hospital, according to his daughter, Brittany Unzelman.
“He’s doing so good,” Unzelman said.
She said Grove's doctor knows marathon runners who have undergone the ICD surgery. The doctor reportedly said Grove’s quality of life would improve significantly after the procedure.
The device can monitor and manage heart rate, and deliver electric shock to correct life-threatening arrhythmia, according to information Unzelman provided.
“My dad … wanted to thank all his fellow county employees and individuals in the community for their well wishes and prayers,” Unzelman told The Chronicle via text.
Grove has headed the county auditor’s office since 2014. For 25 years prior, he served as the Lewis County auditor’s chief accountant.
During his absence, Unzelman said county staff will continue running a “well-oiled machine” and said they have been in contact with Grove’s family throughout the last few days.
Grove is a fourth generation Toledo native and served two tours in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam, according to a Chronicle video interview from his first campaign. After earning a CPA through the state, he worked for the state auditor’s office.
He and his wife Cindy have been married for around 40 years and have three adult children, Brittany, Jessica and Marcus.
