Larry Emil McEntire

Larry Emil McEntire
December 21, 1940 - September 14, 2025

Larry Emil McEntire passed peacefully through the veil, with a smile on his face, in the early morning hours of September 14, 2025. His dear wife, Susie, along with many family members, were by his bedside.

He was born on December 21, 1940, to Orlene Bringhurst and Clyde Franklin McEntire in his grandparents' living room in Toquerville, Utah. He was the third child and had two older sisters.

During his early years, the family lived with his grandparents in Toquerville. His father was a welder and blacksmith and had been kicked in the stomach by a cow and had many health issues and had difficulty supporting his young family.

Larry's father passed away on March 2, 1949, and then just two months later, his grandfather had a sudden heart attack on May 22. A year later, in May 1950, his sister Helen passed away after being diagnosed with Leukemia two weeks earlier.

His mother then married Arnold Chadburn and added a baby brother, William Arnold Chadburn, to the family in 1951. He lived with Arnold, Orlene, and Bill in Goodsprings, Nevada for a few years. He recalls sitting on the front porch and watching the atomic testing.

During his teenage years, he lived with his grandmother in Toquerville and helped her on the farm, while also visiting his mother and Arnold during the summers. He attended school in Hurricane, Utah. He made many wonderful lifetime friends in school and later enjoyed attending their class reunions.

He was a hard worker and, as a teenager, earned money and saved to buy a car by bussing tables, washing dishes, and pumping gas. Because they lived in remote, rural areas, having a car meant freedom. He later helped his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren enjoy that same freedom by providing driving lessons and financial assistance to help them get their first cars.

For his senior year, he moved to St. George and lived with his sister and brother-in-law, Clidene and Jay Bybee Campbell. He graduated from Dixie High School, Class of 1959.

He attended Dixie College after high school. He was very social, but he admitted he was a terrible student that year as he spent a lot of time chasing the cute girls.

He joined the Utah National Guard and spent some time deployed in Puerto Rico. He then moved to northern Utah, and in 1962, he was employed at a filling station and behind it there was a laundromat where several lovely young ladies frequented to do their laundry. He was in uniform one day and decided to walk over to meet the girls. He was particularly interested in a beautiful brunette. He chatted her up by the dryer for some time. They found later that she had been standing by the dryer for so long because her bra hook was stuck in one of the dryer holes, and she was embarrassed to try to pull it out while she was talking to this handsome soldier. The beautiful brunette went home later that evening and told her roommates she had met the man she was going to marry. They told her she was crazy.

Larry and Susan Kay Bolton were married on December 1, 1962. Their first daughter, Julie, joined the family in 1963 and added a daughter, Polly, in 1966. Their little family was sealed for eternity in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on December 1, 1967.

They were poor and working hard to support their little family. Larry held many different jobs, such as gas-station attendant, insurance salesman, Fireman, and barber. It was while he was a Fireman that they decided he should go back to college. His firefighter coworkers thought he was crazy, and his grades from Dixie weren't a great foundation. He applied himself, and after three years at Weber State College, he applied to twelve dental schools and was accepted to the Georgetown University School of Dentistry at the age of 30. Larry and Susie moved the family across the country from Utah to Falls Church, VA, for his schooling, and his classmates there dubbed him "the class old man".

While attending school in D.C., the Washington D.C. LDS Temple was built. They served as tour guides for the open house. Larry barbered on weekends, and Susie worked at Merkel Press to help support the family.

He graduated in 1975 and joined the Public Health system, and they moved the family to Zuni, New Mexico where he provided Dentistry services to the local Zuni Indian Tribe.

The family moved again in 1976 to Mesa, AZ, where Larry purchased a dental office in Tempe, AZ. They bought a home and planned to settle there for good. In 1977, Susan went in for an annual medical check, and to her and Larry's surprise and delight, found they were expecting a third child. Tyson Larry McEntire joined the family on March 3, 1978.

This was a time of great growth in the Phoenix Metro area, and it was booming with new move-ins, including many dentists. While they were building the Tempe practice, Larry had an opportunity to work a few days a week in Parker, AZ, and soon found, as the only dentist in La Paz County, this was a career opportunity he couldn't pass up. They sold the Tempe practice and set up shop in Parker. Susie and the girls were not excited about moving to Parker, AZ, so they moved the family to Lake Havasu City, AZ. He traveled the 35 miles to Parker every workday for 35 years.

He served in various church leadership positions throughout his life, including Bishop and Stake President, and loved serving the Lord.

After retiring in 2011, Larry and Susie served for six years as the Bishop's Storehouse Managers and two additional mission years as Service Mission Leaders, and they were temple workers in the Las Vegas, Nevada Temple for many years.

Larry is preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Clidene McEntire Campbell and Helen McEntire; and his son, Tyson Larry McEntire. He is survived by his dear wife, Susan; daughters, Julie (Jerry) Porter, Polly (Paul) Monsen. Their direct posterity includes grandchildren; Jalee Porter Christiansen, Jason Larry Porter, Jacob Ray Porter, Hollie Estelle McEntire, Lacie Orlene McEntire, and Ivie Rose McEntire. They have 17 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, with another on the way.

Susie and the family wish to extend gratitude to the many dedicated doctors and nurses who assisted Larry in his final days.

Services will be held at the Tule Springs LDS Stake Center, 7500 Tule Springs Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89131. A viewing on Friday, 9.26.25 from 5:30-7:30 pm (PSDT). A second viewing Saturday, 9.27.25 from 8:30-9:45 am (PSDT). Following with a service at 10:00 am (PSDT). Interment will take place at the Toquerville City Cemetery at 11:00 am (MSDT).

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454.

Friends and family are invited to sign Larry's online guest book at www.SpilsburyMortuary.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian Aid Fund
https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/contribute/church/humanitarian-services?cid=MemoriaHumanitarian

The American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/donate/memorial-giving.html

Turning Point USA
https://donate.tpusa.com/donate-e