Larry Edgar Alter, 89, of Burlington, died Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa. Born Dec. 8, 1933, in Burlington, he was the son of Clarence and Nellie Deeds Alter.
He was a 1952 graduate of Burlington High School and attended Burlington JuniorCollege and the University of Iowa. He served in the Navy during the Korean Conflict. After returning home, he moved to Chicago, Ill., and began working for Webcor Electronics. There, he learned about the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, which provided communications to the United States about potential Russian attacks on our country. While working on the DEW Line, he met a man who told him about California’s offer of a free college education, so he relocated to California to attend college. He returned to Burlington on summer break, where he met Marcia Willem. They were married on Sept. 23, 1962, in Downy, Calif. During a weekend visit with his cousin, Harold “Hank” Alter, Larry was offered a job in the electrical construction industry with C. F. Braun. That was his start in electrical construction, a field he worked in for many years. His first career positions were as a project engineer for two electrical construction projects at the Arco Refinery in Torrance, Calif., and a chemical plant in Moundsville, W.V. His project management career was exclusively in California, where he led construction projects, including the Mobil Oil Refinery coker and control house in Torrance, the Humble Refinery control house in Benicia, Westwood Plaza Tower in Los Angeles, Lawrence Welk Plaza Towers in Santa Monica, a water reclamation plant in Huntington Beach, the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, the Anaheim Stadium Addition in Anaheim for the Rams and the Angels, Toyota’s National Headquarters in Torrance, Westminster Mall in Westminster, numerous NBC Studios projects in Burbank, many projects at Disneyland, including the Jungle Cruise, in Anaheim, various hospitals in Orange County, the Austin Company Offices in Irvine, the Pacific Bell Offices in San Ramon, Universal Studios 36-story high-rise in Universal City, and many others until his retirement in 1989. After retirement, Larry consulted and advised on many projects.
While managing an ambitious career, he created expansive experiences for his family. After transforming a bus into a motorhome by hand, Larry and his family explored the western United States, finding unimaginable adventures. Closer to home, a cabin in the desert provided too many opportunities to list: fishing, hiking, motorcycle riding, and planting an orchard of walnut trees. Marcia and Larry traveled back to Iowa each summer, living in a motorhome while traveling. In 2005, they purchased their home in Burlington on the internet, sight unseen simply because it was on the bluff overlooking his beloved Mississippi. He attributed his good health and long life to its soul-filling river views. Always ready with his time, talent, and energy to lend help and guidance to family, friends, and strangers, Larry will be missed.
Larry is survived by his wife, Marcia Alter of Burlington; two children, Diane Alter Bernhardt of Park City, Utah and David (Colleen) Alter of Scottsdale, Ariz.; two grandchildren, Matthew David Bernhardt and Daniel Alter Bernhardt; three sisters, Beverly Fisher of Burlington, Linda Kay of Clear Lake, and Cheryl Herbers of Placentia, Calif. He was preceded in death by his parents, twin brother Leon Charles Alter in infancy, brother Jack Alter, and sister Dana Harris.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, at Lunning Chapel in Burlington, where the family will receive friends beginning at 9:30 a.m. The funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. with Pastor JudyAnn Morse officiating. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. In remembrance of Larry’s life, charitable donations may be made to Hope Alliance, a charity led by his daughter that provides vision care and eyeglasses to people in the United States and worldwide. Contributions may be made by visiting: www.thehopealliance.org