Lawrence Owen Houghton

Lawrence Owen ""Larry"" Houghton passed away Nov. 1, 2016, after a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease. He was 88. Larry was born April 20, 1928 in Garden City, New York to Owen and Helen Reeve Houghton. As a young boy he lived briefly in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Lakeville, Conn., where he attended Indian Mountain School and The Hotchkiss School. He cherished his years at Hotchkiss where he made lifelong friends. After earning a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1951, Larry joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as a Chinese linguist in the Korean War and earning two bronze stars for service there. He was given the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, and was honorably discharged in 1955 with a rank of staff sergeant. Larry worked on Wall Street at Bankers Trust, where he met Diane Cardelli. They wed in 1957. He then went on to executive positions with Marmot Mountain Works and Perception Canoes. With an eye toward entrepreneurship, Larry owned and operated an import/export firm dealing exclusively in trade with Asian corporations up until his retirement in 2008. Larry and Diane spent several years raising their children in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving in 1977 to Grand Junction. Larry greatly enjoyed fly fishing, golfing, reading, and listening to opera and jazz. He was a devoted coach of soccer and ice hockey, and often could be found skiing on the slopes of various Colorado mountains. Loved ones will remember Larry's kindness, his sharp wit, and his genuine love for animals, children, and nature. He always stood ready to help those in need, and that legacy of loyalty to family and friends will endure in their hearts. Larry is survived by his wife, Diane; daughter Aimee Reeve Houghton of Alexandria, Virginia; son Richard Brooke Houghton of Taipei, Taiwan; and granddaughter Lana Rei Piskorowski of Morrison, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Dennie Houghton Carter, and son Bruce Edward Houghton. A celebration of life will be held at Horan & McConaty Mortuary in Denver. A private burial will follow in Grand Junction at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, Grand Junction at 10 AM on November 14, 2016. Memorials may be made in Larry's name to American Rivers: www.americanrivers.org/page/contribute/memorial-giving