After a long and courageous journey with Alzheimer’s disease, Larry G. Crates, 82, was gently released from its grasp on December 16, 2025. While the disease slowly took memories, it never touched the love he gave so freely, nor the legacy he leaves behind.
Larry was born on April 25, 1943 in Bluffton, Ohio, the first son of Herbert Hazen George and Lillian Irene (Koontz) Crates, both deceased. He grew up on the family farm with his four siblings. He was active in the high school band and graduated from Arlington High School in 1961, where he was the class valedictorian and penned the AHS Alma Mater. Following graduation, he pursued a pre-med degree at The Ohio State University, where he also played in “The Best Damn Band in The Land”, (the OSU Marching Band)--getting into the band on a challenge. While in college, Larry worked and lived at the Rutherford Funeral Home in Columbus–it was here where he found his calling in funeral service. He later graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Larry served in the US AirForce Reserves.
On August 22, 1970 he married Drinda (Rindy) McNett at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jenera. Larry and Rindy shared 55 years of marriage. The couple have two daughters, Amanda (Joseph, deceased) Bayliff and Katie (Rich) Kramer; seven grandchildren Kellen, Reis, Raena, Kendall, Noah, Ella and Braden.
Larry was a beyond-the-box thinker when it came to business, and his compassion for the bereaved solidified his decision to return to Hancock County and open a funeral business with his own family. He started his funeral career in 1968, opening Crates Funeral Home in Arlington, and then purchasing the Goff Funeral Home in Carey, which was sold in 1976 in order to purchase the Coldren Funeral Home in Findlay. In 1987, the Smith Funeral Home in North Baltimore was acquired, and the three funeral homes became Coldren-Crates Funeral Homes.
Larry lived to learn, he was interested in everything. He served as the president of the Ohio Funeral Directors Association. While he was involved with the state association, he was instrumental in bringing trust funded funerals to Ohio. Larry retired from funeral service in 2019 upon his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He was an excellent cook and loved to entertain. His wit and sense of humor, (although sometimes mischievous) was always appreciated.
He was a life-long member of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, where he also served as organist over the years.
He is also survived by two sisters, Sandra Dacre, Mary Phillips and two brothers, Charles and Jack Crates.
Funeral services will be held at 11 am Monday, December 22, 2025 at Good Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, 300 South Main Street, Arlington, OH with Pastor Steven Ramsey officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, alongside four generations of the Crates (Krotz) family, who emigrated to the United States in 1831. Larry took great pride in his German roots, his church, his family and bringing beautiful music to this area; however, ushering local residents and their families out of this world with great care was something it seemed he was divinely appointed to do. Please join us as we humbly try to do the same for him.
Visitation will be held from 12 to 5 pm Sunday, December, 21st at his residence, 630 North Main Street, Arlington, OH and for one hour prior to the funeral at the church. The family requests in lieu of flowers memorials can be directed to The Findlay-Hancock County Foundation-Celebration of Life Fund (Memo: Larry G. Crates).