Larry E. Draper, 77, died on April 21.

A celebration of life will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, at Sweeney-Phillips & Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg. Friends and family are invited to share memories and stories at the Knob Noster VFW from noon until 2 p.m. Food and drinks will be served.

He was born March 16, 1942 in Warrensburg the son of Gordon and Margaret (Drinkwater) Draper.

On April 2, 1966, he and Vivian Sams were united in marriage in Overland Park, Kansas.

Larry lived the majority of his life in Knob Noster.  In high school he strived to be the best basketball player earning the first “1,000 Career Points” at Knob Noster High School in 1960.  Upon graduating he enlisted in the United States Navy until 1964.  During that time, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in the medical service field as a dental technician. He traveled to Sacramento, California, the Mediterranean, and Cuba during the Cuban Crisis.  Upon returning home, Larry worked in the construction business, as superintendent and owner, until retirement.  He was first employed by Tempel-Callison Company, Lacuma Builders, D & E Construction (owned by Larry and Rick Everts), Larry Brandt Construction, and Coil Construction. In addition, Larry raised dogs. He leaves behind his treasured Boston Terriers.

Larry will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 53 years, Vivian, and his children, Lorie Crone (Mike) of Lee’s Summit, Lyn Ransdell (Larry) of Knob Noster, and Dustin Draper (Stephanie) of Knob Noster. He will also be fondly remembered by his grandchildren, Crystal Tyler, Christina Cooney, Catherine Plakorus, Hannah Crone, Christian Crone, Vincenzo Reynolds and Aaron Cisneros; his great grandchildren, Tiffany Tyler, Dalton Tyler, Zachary Cooney, Kyrin Koeper, and Adeline Cooney; and his siblings, William Harry Draper of Knob Noster, Carolyn Roberts of Arizona, Marilyn Knox of Arkansas, and Sharon Hauser of Arizona. He leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, and friends who all have countless stories to tell.

He was preceded in death by his father Gordon Draper, his mother Margaret Lee Draper-Kirkpatrick, and his step-father, Art Kirkpatrick. He was also preceded in death by his grandparents Harry and Fern Drinkwater and his beloved sister-in-law, Karen Draper.

Memorial donations will be accepted in memory of Larry at the Equity Bank of Knob Noster, as a 2019 scholarship has been established for Knob Noster athletes (Larry E. Draper Athletic Scholarship Fund).