Lawrence "Larry" Arnold Reister

Lawrence “Larry” Arnold Reister, age 99, of Valparaiso, IN, passed away on September 1, 2026. He was born in Lansing, MI, and lived a remarkable and adventurous life. Larry graduated from Jas. Whitcomb Riley High School in South Bend, IN. He attended Notre Dame, where he majored in aeronautical engineering and participated in ROTC during the final years of World War II. Reister later earned a master’s degree in business from the University of Michigan. A US Naval Reserve veteran, Larry served as an officer (Lt) during the Korean War. In 1966, Larry established a successful insurance agency for John Hancock in NW Indiana where he developed lasting relationships with clients and colleagues. He never missed a birthday. Larry was particularly proud of his accomplishments as a speaker and lifetime qualifying member of the Million-Dollar Round Table. He was an active member of the Rotary Club for over 40 years. After retiring in 1987, Larry and his wife, Betty Gawthrop, moved to Malaysia, where they lived, worked, and traveled for 10 years. Another proud accomplishment was establishing a Reister Family Scholarship Fund at Grand Valley College in Michigan. Larry and Betty then settled in Englewood, Florida, on the Gulf near Manasota Key. There they enjoyed entertaining family and friends, playing bridge, serving on the local turtle patrol, and collecting shells along the beach. Larry was involved in local civic issues in Florida and worked to preserve local control of the Manasota Regional Water Authority in Englewood. He created many stained-glass steppingstones-one for every member of he and Betty’s families. They loved to scuba dive and play bridge. He always had a joke and a smile for every occasion. Larry was affiliated with First Presbyterian Church of Venice, FL and the First Unitarian Church of NW Indiana. He was preceded in death by his former wife, Bonnie J. Reister; his mother, Leola Reister; and his father, Ervin A. Reister. Larry is survived by his children, Margaret “Maggie” Reister and her husband, Thomas “Tom” Walters; C. Kenneth “Ken” Reister and his wife, June Reister; and William “Bill” Reister. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Colleen Reister; Maggie and Tom’s children, Amanda Barrett (James) and Josh Walters (Summer); and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his former wife, Betty Gawthrop, age 100. A visitation will be held on Friday, September 11, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. until the time of the funeral service at 6:00 p.m. at Burns Funeral Home & Crematory, 10101 Broadway, Crown Point, IN. Rev. Cathy Harrington of First Unitarian Officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the First Unitarian Church of NWI or the Reister Family Scholarship of Grand Valley College, MI. Please visit Larry’s online obituary and guestbook at www.burnsfuneral.com.

Lawrence "Larry" Arnold Reister

December 21, 1926 - September 1, 2026