Larry Morris Shertzer, 81, of Lebanon passed away peacefully Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 at the Lebanon VA Medical Center. Born in Hershey, PA October 6, 1942 to the late Robert and Ferne (Gingrich) Shertzer. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Ann (Mesaris) Shertzer in January 2023 to whom he was married to for just over 51 years, and a younger brother Doug.

Larry was a Central Dauphin graduate, and left shortly after to doing a four year tour in the US Navy. Larry served for four years on the USS Fort Snelling LSD-30 as an Engineman. In those years, he not only took care of the engines on the ship, but also was selected to be the ship captain’s personal shuttle boat driver from the ship to shore, along with some other questionable troublemaking missions with his shipmates while off duty.

After being honorably discharged, Larry took to the open roads for over four decades as an over the road truck driver. He started out owning his own trucks in the early 70s, working for various companies, and driving all over the majority of the Country east of the Rockies. The last company he worked for, he had over a million accident-free miles, which for anyone that had ever ridden with him, could attest that is quite the feat. After being replaced with cheaper, younger drivers, Larry began driving charter busses for a local tour bus company. Looking back on it, it is a move he said many times over, that he wished he had made decades before. He really enjoyed messing with the unsuspecting passengers. His favorite trick, was on trips to other cities, he would show his Texas drivers license (while living in, and being from PA), and asked anyone if they had been to NYC before, and could help navigate, because this was his first trip (of the day). Those poor passengers, he said the reactions were usually priceless.

Surviving are his sons Brian, husband of Rachel, of Annville, and Mark, husband of Bertha, of Hawaii, as well as two grandsons Doyle and Cole, both of Annville, and numerous Grand-pups in both Annville and Hawaii.

Next to his grandsons, one of Larrys favorite things to do was to go RVing. After retirement, Larry and Mary Ann bought a 5^th wheel camper and truck, and began to winter in Texas. Liking the area so much, they eventually stopped wintering, and became full-time Texas residents for about 10 years. They would travel around the southern US, and then spent summers back in Pennsylvania. Larry developed cancer while in his mid 70s, and spent quite a bit of time at the Lebanon VA, where he was treated with the utmost care and compassion. On his weekly trips to various appointments, he always had to leave extra time to chat with the various people that knew him all over the facility he would pass in the halls. Larry had decided that he wanted to show people the error of his ways from smoking for several decades, and donate himself to the Hershey Med Center for research and instructional use.

There will be no services at this time, but once Larry has finished his time at Hershey, He and Mary Ann will have a memorial service, and be reunited, with their ashes being interred at Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local animal rescue or shelter in Larry’s name.