Roll Call Tribute

Larry Wayne Ayers 

October 28, 1938 - June 5, 2024 

Larry Wayne Ayers of Paris, Texas and Snellville, Georgia peacefully departed this life on June 5, 2024.

Larry was the youngest son of Edna Earle Stone and Fred James Ayers born on October 28, 1938 in Deport, Texas. He grew up in Paris, Texas where he graduated from Paris High School. He was an active student and athlete, playing varsity football, basketball and baseball. But among these, baseball was the sport in which he truly excelled as a pitcher. His 1954-55 team won the 2A Texas State Championship and he accepted a baseball scholarship to Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas where he played on the 1959 Southwest Conference Championship team and earned varsity T-Association membership. Despite getting injured, he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers but chose to finish college instead. While at A&M, Larry was selected as a Freshman Yell Leader and served as Company L Second Brigade Commanding Officer among the Corps of Cadets. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1961 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration.

Larry was commissioned as 2LT US Army in 1962 and completed Infantry School and Infantry Officer Candidate School in Ft. Benning GA. He was ordered to active duty, stationed at Ft. Ord CA, served in Germany and led infantry units in Vietnam with 2nd Battalion 5th Cavalry Regiment 1st Cavalry Division Air Mobile where he earned the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Infantryman Badge, Vietnam Service Medal and Air Medal. He was promoted to Captain while in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1968.

While living in California, Larry developed his golf skills, playing golf with fellow officers and marshalling Pro-Am events at Pebble Beach. He continued to play golf throughout his life for both business and pleasure. Throughout his life he also enjoyed wood-working, designing and building custom furniture for his family home. He was also a gifted artist and writer.

After serving his country, Larry and his family established their home in Richardson, Texas where he spent much of his business career at Georgia-Pacific, eventually developing a new division in the Addison branch specializing in building and marketing home trusses. His pioneering work there led to several promotions and a move to Georgia-Pacific’s new global headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. He established his family’s home in Snellville where he was a member of Summit Chase Country Club for many years. Larry left the corporate world to build his own home inspection company, a business for which he was well-qualified to help home buyers have a fact-based view on their potential home purchase.

Larry is preceded in death by his parents, Edna and Jim Ayers and his older brother, James E. “Honse” Ayers, whom he adored. He is survived by his wife Betty K. Ayers, his daughter Stacy A. Chick and her husband Bill, his daughter Melissa A. Tyson and her husband Russell, grandson MAJ Robert Connor Chick (Medical Corps, US Army) and his wife Margaret, grandson CPT William Christopher Chick (Judge Advocate General Corps, US Army) and his fiancé Kristin Youngberg, granddaughter Shelby Grace Tyson and great-granddaughters Clementine, Taryn and Della Chick, sister-in-law Shirley Ayers, nephew and his wife Brian and Lorrie Ayers, nephew and his wife Chris and Karen Ayers and grandnephews Justin, Brenton, Brian and his wife Christina, Jason and his wife Autumn, Ryan and his wife Carly, and Brandon. In addition, Larry is survived by stepson Phillip M. Makely and his wife Therese, stepdaughter Theresa P. Makely, stepson David M. Makely and his wife Debbie, stepson Andrew R. Makely and his wife Alison, step-granddaughter and her husband Margaret and Sam Lynes, step granddaughter and her husband Lauren and Jeff Ely, step-granddaughters Katherine Boone, Leanna Queen, Amy Robison, and Anna Makely, step-grandsons David Boone, Marcus Queen, and William Makely, and step-great grandchildren Kathleen, Violet, and James Lynes, and Bridgette and Harvey Ely.

He will be missed by family and the many friends he made throughout his life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to Mission K9 Rescue, missionk9rescue.org  

In the Care of: 
Tom M. Wages Funeral Services - Snellville Chapel