Lawrence
J. Noling
1930 ~ 2020
Lawrence J. Noling, 89, of Leland, MI, and Indianapolis, IN,
passed peacefully in his sleep on Monday, September 7, 2020 at his longtime
family home in Leland, just weeks before he would have celebrated his 90th
birthday.
Larry was born on September 26, 1930 in Indianapolis, IN, the
son of Alfred Wells and Jean Luther Noling. He grew up in Golden Hill,
attending Indianapolis public school #60, Park School, and Shortridge High
School, where he met his first wife Monica Lennox. During his school days, he was active in scouting,
achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He
was also a proud member of the honor society.
It was during those early years that his parents first brought
him, along with his sister Kathy, to vacation in Northern Michigan, renting a
house on Lake Leelanau for the first time. After several years, the family purchased
their own lakefront property, and began a love affair with
Leland Michigan that now spans five generations of his family.
Larry earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College,
graduating magna cum laude in 1952. While
there, he was a Phi Beta Kappa, captain of the sailing team, and business
manager of the campus newspaper.
He served his country during the Korean conflict as a Staff Sergeant for three years,
before returning to Indianapolis to work alongside his father at Hurty Peck
& Co. He remained there for the rest
of his career, overseeing its evolution from a small local business into a
thriving multinational company, Universal Group, Ltd. He served as both chairman and CEO before his
retirement in 1986.
He met his second wife, Molly Young, there and enjoyed 45
happy years with her until her death in 2012.
Other affiliations
from his time in Indianapolis include Woodstock Club, Players Club, Skyline
Club, and the Indianapolis Civic Theatre, where he was on the board of
directors. He also served on the boards
of numerous corporate entities.
Upon retirement, he split his time between Indianapolis,
Leland, and Sanibel Island in Florida, before moving to Michigan full time. He
was a former president and longtime member of both the Leland Country Club and
the Leland Yacht Club. He also sat on
the boards of both the Leland Community Library and Preserve Historic Sleeping
Bear.
He was a talented bridge player, an avid reader (on a first
name basis with all the librarians in town), and a family man, always up for a
picnic at the beach, cookouts on the back lawn overlooking the lake, card games
on the porch, and endless trips around the lake, hauling the squealing
grandchildren behind the boat.
Larry loved to travel and delighted in sharing those
experiences with family members and friends. He also loved to sing, and his steady baritone
will be sorely missed at the Leland Community Sunday Night Sings.
When in Leland, he could often be found on the golf course. When asked how he wished to be remembered, he
said, “after forty years, he finally got his golf score under 100.”
In a more serious vein, Larry emphasized his commitment to and
joy in his family, his many friendships, both professional and personal, and
the love he bore for his country. He proudly flew the flag by the lake in front
of his home every day.
His family is grateful for his deep love of Leland, which he
passed down to them all. His two
daughters make their homes in the area, as do four of his grandchildren and one
of his great grandchildren. Others
within the family visit as often as they can. He left them with a wonderful appreciation for
the local community and an abiding sense of place.
He lived long; he lived honestly; he lived well. His absence will be deeply felt by both his
family and his community.
Larry is survived by his children, David Noling, Susan
Pandorf, and Jamie May; sixteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Molly,
and his sister, Katherine.
Interment of ashes will be private. A memorial service will be held in Leland, MI,
during the summer of 2021.
Memorials may be directed to the Leelanau Conservancy, P.O.
Box 1007, Leland, MI 49654 or Friends of the Leland Township Library, PO Box
736, Leland, MI 49654.
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