Lawrence Edwin Tiller

Surrounded by family, Lawrence Edwin Tiller died on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at his home in Show Low, Navajo County, Arizona.  He was 77 years old.  Larry, as he was known throughout his life, was born on a Saturday, September 10, 1938, in Morton, Lewis County, Washington to his parents, the late Oakley G. and Stella (Fornash) Tiller.Larry was a United States Navy veteran who served his country faithfully from April 3, 1956, to March 14, 1958.  It was during his military service that he met his forever sweetheart, Ruby Arlene Rumsey, who was also serving in the U.S. Navy.  The couple married on May 18, 1957, in San Diego, California.  Theirs was a marriage of friendship and respect.  To each other, they were best friends.  Larry was a hardworking man and was a great example to his children of what "by the sweat of his brow" truly meant.  After his honorable discharge from the military, Larry began a long career in the logging industry and worked as a sawmill worker.  Many of those years were spent in the state of Washington working for St. Regis Sawmill in Tacoma.  He moved to Arizona 38 years ago and spent the last several years at his current residence in the eastern community of Show Low.  Larry was a man who truly appreciated the beauty of God's creations and loved spending time in the great-out-of-doors.  He enjoyed fishing and his favorite spot was at Indian Hole in Washington State.  Larry was a car buff and loved working on cars.  Many will miss his mechanic's skills, as he always took the challenge to fix just about anybody's engines.  His family says that he was always lending a helping hand to his family, friends and neighbors with whatever project they needed help with.  He will be missed by those whom he loved.         Lawrence Edwin Tiller is survived by children:  Dwayne Tiller of Florence, Arizona, Thomas Tiller of Show Low, Arizona, David Tiller of Show Low, Arizona, Cheryl Goss of Mesa, Arizona; 3 grandchildren:  Mark Larsen, Jr., Shaun Goss, Scott Goss; 3 great-grandchildren:  Logan Goss, Destiny Goss and Magenta Goss.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Ruby Tiller on January 21, 2006; a daughter, Judy Tiller in 2004; 2 brothers:  Gary Tiller, Eugene Tiller and by his sister, Juanita.