Larry James Waller

Larry James Waller

Cumming, Ga.

Larry James Waller, 82, of Cumming, Ga., unexpectedly passed away at Northside Forsyth Hospital on June 29, 2022, at 12:35 p.m.

Larry was born on Feb. 27, 1940, in Mason City, Iowa, to Franklin Riley Waller and Gracia Bernadine Kaiser (Van Blair). He has one sister, Linda Jarrar.

He graduated from Rockford High School, Rockford, Iowa, in 1958, where he jokingly bragged that he was in the top 25 of 30 in his class. While in high school, Larry played football, basketball, ran track, played the trombone in band and sang in choir. Shortly after graduating, he joined the U.S. Army where he earned an Expert Shooting medal and was selected for the 7th Army football team that played throughout Europe.

After leaving the Army, he attended college and took a job bartending. In 1967, he got his start in the Chamber of Commerce world as chamber manager in Marion, Iowa, and never looked back. He served the chamber profession for more than 30 years, including as president of the chambers in Billings, Mont., Rapid City, S.D., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Huntsville, Ala. He would move to Atlanta, Ga., in 1998 where he would work as a Chamber consultant and fundraising coordinator, finally retiring in 2010.

From 1989-90, Larry served as chairman of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). In 2006, he received the Life Member Award, the Chamber profession’s highest honor. Larry received numerous other awards during his career and continued to give back to his community, later as an active member of the Rotary Club of Forsyth-Lanier and a Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

On Sept. 26, 1993, Larry married Julie Cole (Petrak) on the island of Maui.

When he was not working, Larry enjoyed playing golf and cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was a lifelong baseball fan, coaching many of his son Jeff’s childhood teams. He even eventually shifted his allegiance from his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers to the Atlanta Braves. He also enjoyed relaxing on the beach at his condo in Orange Beach, Ala.

Larry is survived by his wife of 28 years, Julie Waller of Cumming, Ga.; children, Jeff Waller (Beth) of Davenport, Iowa, Jenifer Morse (David) of Williams, Ore., Tina Cooley (Chris) of Huntsville, Ala., and John White (Kelly) of Winder, Ga.; grandchildren, Logan Waller, Mason Waller, Brandon Morse, Dylan Morse, Christina Cooley, Jenson Cooley, Shawn White, Kyle White, Kenzie White and Leia Rosser; sister, Linda Jarrar (Kaiser) of La Verne, Calif.; his niece, Janeen Jarrar in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; and Cappy, his feline companion that hates all humans except his Larry, who he continues to look for around the house.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Franklin Waller and Gracia Bernadine Kaiser (Van Blair); brother-in-law, Sharif Jarrar; and nephew, Ramsey Jarrar.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at McDonald and Sons Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life, with military honors, will be in the chapel of the funeral home at 2 p.

m. officiated by the Rev. Bruce Petty, a dear friend of Larry’s from weekly bible study. No procession will follow. A livestream will be available for those that are unable to travel but would like to attend. At www.mcondaldandson.com, you will be able to view a recording of the service as well as leave condolences for the family.

Larry’s professional life was all about championing local businesses and organizations. With that in mind, in lieu of flowers, please donate to any of the following organizations in his name:

Rotary Club of Lanier-Forsyth, P.O. Box 3166, Cumming, GA 30028 www.rotary.org/en/donate; or Skyland Trail (www.skylandtrail.org), a mental health 501(c)3 non-profit in Brookhaven, Ga.; or Cattyshack, Inc (www.cattyshackhuntsville.org), a nonprofit cat rescue and cat lounge, Huntsville, Ala.

Arrangements by McDonald and Son Funeral Home, 150 Sawnee Dr., Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 886.9899. www.mcdonaldandson.com