Larry Brent Troxell

Larry Brent Troxell 70, of Twin Falls, Idaho, passed away December 8, 2023, at his home in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Larry was born August 21, 1953, in Boise, Idaho, the son of Joyce Patricia Peterson of Boise and James Lamont Stipp of Emmett, Idaho, however they did not marry. At the age of 19 days, Larry was adopted by Raymond (Bud) Troxell and his wife, Lois Troxell, and raised in Twin Falls. Larry attended both Morningside and Bickel grade schools, O’Leary Jr. High, and graduated from Twin Falls High School in May 1971. While in Jr. High, Larry played guitar in a rock band with fellow classmates Carl Wurster, Larrey Anderson, Kent Lierman, and Jeff Pugliano. They played school dances at O’Leary Jr. High, Robert Stuart Jr. High, the LDS Stake Center, the YMCA, and also at several Battles of the Bands in the Magic Valley. Larry always said that playing on stage was one of the best times in his life.

In the fall of 1971 Larry attended the College of Southern Idaho but quickly realized he wasn’t ready for college academics (particularly studying). He was more in the party mode with friends. Larry was working for the Times-News six days each week with a five-hour motor route delivering newspaper bundles to Shoshone, Richfield, and Carey, then back to the Gooding area and home. The only thing positive about the drive was his ability to listen to the Top 40 hits on KEEP AM Radio. Maggie May was a mainstay at the time.

Larry grew up camping, fishing, and hunting with his parents and friends; the Poolers, Marrs, Reddicks, Sellers, and Eberleins. At a young age he could be found with his father, Bud, fishing Silver Creek, Magic Reservoir, Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, Roseworth Reservoir, the Big Wood River, and the Salmon River near Stanley, Idaho.

In early 1972 Larry’s high school friend, Mike Burgess, suggested they speak to an Army National Guard recruiter because neither of them knew what they wanted to do when they grew up. After their visit they both decided the Army wasn’t the path they wanted to follow. A week later Mike suggested they visit the Air Force recruiter so they did. The Air Force looked like a much better proposition and they both knew they needed to get busy and do something positive in life, even if it was just a four-year enlistment. Mike went on active duty right away and Larry followed on 8 May 1972. Larry thought after four years he would have a much better idea regarding long-term plans.

After basic training and Personnel Specialist Tech School at Keesler AFB, MS, Larry was assigned to Castle AFB, CA. After 22 months he was reassigned to Wiesbaden AB, Germany and loved living there, traveling and learning about the culture and history. After seven months the Army took over the air base and he and his personnel colleagues moved to Lindsey Air Station in downtown Wiesbaden. Larry always said that being stationed in Wiesbaden was the best assignment he ever had.

After three years on active duty, Larry decided to “take a short” and reenlist one year early because he enjoyed living and traveling in Europe. The Air Force was offering cash incentives for Personnel Specialists to reenlist so he obliged with a six-year reenlistment period and some extra cash was part of the deal. Larry’s decision put him on the path to at least a 20-year career. Larry’s travels included the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel in Rome, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Moët & Chandon Winery in Épernay, France, the Eiger in Switzerland, and visiting Neuschwanstein Castle and the magnificent palace of King Ludwig II on Herreninsel on Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria, visiting General George S. Patton’s grave and memorial in Luxembourg, and many other locations in Europe.

After 28 months in Wiesbaden, Larry took a follow-on assignment to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It was there he met Donna Leann Whitney, who was also on active duty with the Air Force. They dated for a year then traveled to Leann’s home in Phoenix, AZ where they married in December 1978.They returned to Ramstein AB for another two years before being reassigned to HQ Space Division, Los Angeles Air Force Station, in El Segundo, CA. In July 1981, their son, Christopher Lee, was born at the Long Beach Naval Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. After two years in El Segundo, they decided it was time to leave and were reassigned to Royal Air Force (RAF) Greenham Common, Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom. RAF Greenham Common was a World War II base and also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standby base approximately 60 miles west of London and was being reactivated to house the Air Force’s first Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) in Europe. Toward the end of their four-year assignment, Larry and Leann found they were moving in different directions in life. Larry applied for and was accepted for a special duty assignment to Air Force ROTC Detachment 850, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, in October 1986. Larry was the Detachment Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) at the detachment until his retirement on 31 May 1992.

Larry took a year off and played golf, camped and fished with his parents and son before going back to work again. He held several jobs and one of those was working with the Center for Disabilities Evaluation for Idaho State University in Twin Falls. While there, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity to return to college to finish his degree. In December 2007, he received his degree in Human Resource Training and Development and set about finding a job that was a little more interesting. For his Practicum, Larry taught two English classes at the College of Sothern Idaho and enjoyed being in the classroom. Unfortunately, the State of Idaho would not recognize his degree for teaching and would only allow him to work in training positions. In September 2010, Larry began working as a trainer for the South

Central Public Health District in Twin Falls. After 10 months his position was being eliminated and he applied for and was accepted for the position as the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Healthcare Liaison working with the six hospitals in the Magic and Wood River Valleys and various Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC). Larry managed a federal contract for Health and Human Services (HHS) and worked with his colleagues in planning, training, and conducting exercises for emergency preparedness.

After almost nine years, Larry retired again on 1 July 2019 after 15 years with the State of Idaho. He said it was time to play.

Having always known he was adopted, in 1977 he visited the Children’s Home Finding and Aid Society in Boise where he was adopted and, through their paperwork, was able to find the names of his biological parents. In March 2019 Larry decided to join Ancestry.com to see what information might be available. He always thought he might have several siblings but was shocked to find he had seven sisters and four brothers. He set about contacting his siblings and was able to connect with seven siblings so far. This was a highlight in his life and he wished he had more time to spend with them.

Larry was preceded in death by his biological parents, Joyce Peterson and James Stipp, his adoptive parents, Raymond (Bud) and Lois Troxell, and his brother, Donald Martin.

Larry is survived by his son, Chris (Belinda) Troxell, grandsons Dechaun Caraway and Carter Troxell, and granddaughter, Halle Troxell. Maternal relatives , brother Vincent (Cindy) Comella, sisters, Brooke Jeanine, Michelle (Allen) Tuckness, Barbara Martin, Vonda (Michael) Mullins, and Monica (Brian) Gower. Paternal relatives, brothers Montie Stipp, Jeff (Heidi) Stipp, sisters, Shelley (Brian) Walp, and Launa Stipp, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

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