Larry Cagle

Larry Neal Cagle, long-time resident of Ephrata passed Aug. 31, 2023, in Wenatchee, Wash. He was born March 18, 1941, in Grand Junction Colorado to Dorothy and Oliver Cagle. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 22 years, Mary.

Larry grew up between Colorado and Missouri and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958, serving on active duty as a jet engine mechanic earning multiple commendations. The Air Force brought him to Larson Air Base, Moses Lake where he met his first wife, Janice, then to Travis AFB, Fairfield, Calif. They had three children, Roger (1967), Michael (1970) and Karen (1973).

After leaving the Air Force, Larry attended Vallejo College earning an associate degree. He attended Washington State University pursuing a math teaching degree. He left WSU to work as an aviation electrician at Boeing from 1967 to 1970 on the 747 and 737 aircraft teams. After moving to Moses Lake in 1970, he worked in maintenance and as an electrician for Basic American Foods for the better part of two decades, settling in Ephrata in 1975.

He served in the Washington Air National Guard for 22 years as a tanker crew chief, retiring as a master sergeant in 1992. During this time Larry deployed to Egypt for an extended period during Operation Desert Storm and served the final eight years of military service on active duty on the KC-135 alert flight line at Fairchild Air Force Base.

Affectionately known as the “Old Dude”, he was what one would call a jack of all trades. He could fix anything and loved to figure out how things worked. He was always finding a way to add a “twist of Larry” to any set of assembled parts. If he was anything, it was unique in an amazing way, having a mind that never slowed, even in his last days.

Larry was an avid motorcycle rider and a lifetime member of the American Motorcyclist Association. He was a flat track racer in California as a young man and always had an elaborate, diverse collection of things on two wheels. He passed his love of riding to his sons and logged many miles on the highways with his wife, Mary (2001), over the years. He shared a love of airplanes, holding a private pilot’s license and was the owner of Community Air Service in Moses Lake, employing his son, Roger, as a flight instructor.

In his final years, Larry compiled a set of memoirs chronicling his life into volumes highlighting his travels and the people who meant the most to him. This brought an interest in the genealogy of his family, connecting generations and allowing him to connect with people he had not seen in years.

Most importantly, Larry loved using his skills to help people. He would change the engine in someone’s vehicle if they could not do it themselves, never asking a thing in return. His thought was if you needed it and he could do it, that was enough. If someone needed a place to stay or live, he shared his home with them. He founded the Columbia Basin BMX series in the 1970’s in Ephrata, bringing together youth from the entire basin. He coached sports when needed, built things when needed, and could always be counted on to share his time and expertise with others. He genuinely liked people and would always find good in a situation. For three decades he had battled severe pain and spent many years under medical treatment, never complaining, but instead being grateful for the doctors who brought him extra decades of life, namely Dr. Joseph Tornabene.

Larry is survived by his wife, Mary; son, Michael Cagle (Katie); daughter, Karen Reck (John); stepsons, Joseph Whalen (Patti), Robert Whalen (Melody) and Michael Whalen (Monica); and a sister, JaNeille Yates. He leaves behind 12 grandchildren: Aimee, Michaela, Parker, Pyper, Oliver, Zachary, Ethan, Andrew, Aaron, Taylor, Brooks, Shayla, and one great-granddaughter, Ottilia.

He was preceded in death by his son Roger (Darla) in 1993, his parents, four brothers, and one sister.

You will be missed “Old Dude” and forever remembered for the amazing human you were!

Services were held at GracePoint Church, in Ephrata on Friday, Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. Viewing followed at 10 a.m. Interment at the Ephrata Cemetery followed the service.