Public memorial for Larry Sheets

A public memorial for the late Porter County Commissioner Larry Sheets will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso.

County Commissioners Dave Burrus and John Evans announced the memorial on Monday after conferring with Sheets’ family members.

Evans said the commissioners respect the family’s wishes for a private funeral service, but the memorial will give a chance for county employees and the many others who knew Sheets a chance to “say good-bye.”

The location of the memorial is fitting, since Sheets was vocal in his support of making the county-owned Memorial Opera House a successful facility.

Sheets died late Saturday due to complications associated with a stem cell replacement. A visitation was held today.

Private Memorial and Obituary

Porter County Commissioner Larry D. Sheets of Center Township died Saturday, Sept. 27, 2003 at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. He was 61.

Born in Rossville, Vermillion County, Illinois on Oct. 14, 1941, he was the son of Gilbert and Vivian (Hardy) Sheets. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Paula (Kolodziej) Sheets; son Larry W. Sheets (wife Melanie) of Valparaiso; daughter Amber L. Cline of Charlotte, North Carolina; grandchildren, Tyler J. Cline, Sidney K. Cline and Jordan R. Sheets; brothers Gilbert Sheets of Ridge Farm, Ill., Edward Sheets of Chesterton, Charles Sheets (Rose Marie) of Charlotte Hall, Maryland, and Dennis Sheets (Marva) of Madison, Wis.; sisters Candice Sheets of Crown Point and Pamela Singer (husband Garth) of Merrillville; and numerous loving nieces and nephews.

In addition to his father and his mother, Vivian Goodpastor, he was preceded in death by his sister Helen Titak and grandparents Vernon and Ruby Hardy.

A resident of Center Township since 1972, he was a graduate of Emerson High School in Gary and an Army veteran. He retired from Bethlehem Steel after 34 years of service. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Valparaiso and the Valparaiso Democratic Club. He was a charter member of Miller Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 1877, past member of American Legion Post 94, past member of Valparaiso Elks 500, a member and former president of the Porter County Board of Commissioners, a member and past president of the Porter County Plan Commission, president of the Porter County Jail Building Corporation, a member of the Porter County Wildlife Management Advisory Board, a member of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Plan Commission, president of the Council of Communities Advisory Committee, and a member of the Indiana Association of County Commissioners. He was first elected in 1983 and served three terms, was out for one term and elected again in 1998.

Visitation is today, from 2 to 8 p.m. at Dykes Funeral Home, 2305 N. Campbell St., Valparaiso. Funeral services will be private with the Pastor Don Williams officiating. Memorials may be made to the Indiana Chapter Leukemia and Lymphoma and the Porter County Cancer Society.

Posted 9/30/2003