Memorial Gifts & Donations
H. Larry Mahl passed away peacefully on Friday, October 20, 2023 with his wife and children at his bedside.
What follows was penned by him prior to his passing.
Larry Mahl was born in Canton, Ohio on February 27, 1927, the second son of Pauline Cecilia Hermann Mahl and Harry L. Mahl, Sr. His early years were spent in Cleveland and Chicago. His “Huckleberry” years were at his grandmother’s home in Malvern, Ohio.
In 1939 he moved to Atlanta, Georgia with his parents and brother where he finished grammar and high school. Larry received a degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1950. He started his profession in Tuscaloosa, Alabama after which Larry moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he met and married Patricia Ann Shirkey in 1955.
Larry began working for the AG Chem group of WR Grace in Memphis in 1957 as a process engineer. In 1963 Larry transferred to Wilmington, North Carolina to help start up the Nitrex Plant, becoming plant manager in 1976. He was then transferred back to Grace AG Group Headquarters in Memphis where he spent 12 years, retiring in 1989 as Vice President of Engineering. After retiring from W.R. Grace, Larry spent a year in Arkansas as a consultant.
During his engineering career Larry spent time on assignments in Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Germany, Holland, Peru, England, Portugal, Italy, Japan and Korea as well as many places in the US. He was a member of four technical societies, chaired some, wrote several papers and obtained two patents. Larry served on the 1963 Cape Fear Tech Advisory Committee to help establish a chemical technology course in order to train people for the new Nitrex plant. After retirement he served on a Wastec committee for a year. Larry served eight years on the Wrightsville Beach planning board.
In 1972 he bought a sailboat and sailing became his primary sport. He and Pat spent many fun family summers in their duplex at Wrightsville Beach. He was also an avid football fan. Larry kept box gardens where he grew zinnias, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and lots of weeds. In 1992 he designed and supervised construction of his retirement home near Whiskey Creek. He loved motor trips and driving, which led to a part time retirement job of driving cars for Hertz for twenty two years.
Larry is survived by Pat, his wife of 68 years, daughter Judy Lynn Osborne and her husband Wayne of Southern Pines, daughter Lori Ann Mahl of Raleigh, son Jeffrey Lawrence Mahl and wife Kim of Raleigh, plus five grandchildren: Nate Osborne, Meghan Osborne Johnston, Abigail Mahl, Jon Mahl, and Matthew Mahl.
Larry was a member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church and the family requests that any memorial gifts be sent to the church. https://stmatthewsch.org/online-giving/ (Scroll to the last category – “Other”)
Memorial Service will take place on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023 at noon at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church at 612 South College Road in Wilmington, NC.
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Wilmington Funeral & Cremation 1535 S. 41st Street, Wilmington, NC 28403 910-791-9099.
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