Larry M. Altemos

Larry M. Altemos passed away peacefully in Lancaster, PA surrounded by his family on August 8, 2026, at the age of 80 years old. He was born in Allentown, PA on August 28, 1945, to Ulysses and Hulda Brey Altemos. He had one brother Richard, whom he always looked up to. He often shared stories of a wonderful childhood hunting, fishing, and racing cars around town with his buddies. He learned to appreciate gardening and cooking wonderful meals from his mother. He became an Eagle Scout and graduated from Parkland High School where he was the quarterback on the football team. He met his future wife Susan Kunkle, both at twelve years old, while playing on the monkey bars at the local playground. They maintained a friendship for many years, attended the sweethearts ball together in high school, and decided to start dating in college.

Larry lost his father right after graduating from high school and it was a heavy loss he carried in his heart his whole life. He moved to Lancaster, PA to attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology to study mechanical design. One of his early adventures in Lancaster included learning how to skydive, which earned him the handle The Flying Dutchman. He worked for RCA in Lancaster and decided to settle in Lititz, PA after marrying Susan. They built their home there and never left. They raised two children, Megan and Todd, and recently celebrated 59 years of marriage. They had a very special lifelong bond. Some of Larry’s favorite times in life were spent in the backyard around the pool with family, neighbors and friends sharing plenty of laughter. He was a master at the grill and especially loved clambakes, corn on the cob, and cold beer.

Larry was a salesman at heart working many different jobs throughout his career, but he always referred to himself as an ex-steel salesman, a job he loved. He spent over thirty years in the metals industry selling for Athos Steel, North American Brass and Aluminum, and J. Allan Steel. Through his sales experience he met many lifelong friends with whom he created memories that he cherished. Later in his career he worked at Corralloy, Inc. as VP of sales, and Apex Realty and Long and Foster as a realtor, prior to retirement. He was most proud of his own businesses Profile Metals, Inc. and Profile Awards Company where he sold specialized brass hockey pucks to AHL and NHL teams. He could sell anything, especially a story that may or may not have been true.

Larry had many interests; he could build anything from birdhouses to decks and prided himself on the ability to fix anything broken. He had a talent for DIY home repairs which he passed on to his daughter Megan, and they always enjoyed discussing how their projects turned out. He spent many years perfecting his golf game, an interest he shared with his son-in-law Brock. Larry was a lifelong Phillies fan and rarely missed a game. He watched his last baseball game in the hospital before he passed away. He loved football, including the Philadelphia Eagles, and he always supported his wife Sue’s alma mater Penn State. He especially enjoyed watching the games with his mother-in-law Marion Kunkle, after she moved to Lititz to live with them. He had a special love of ice hockey, something he shared with his grandson Trent, and he spent many years as a “hockey dad” supporting his son Todd and his friends on their adventures. Larry was an excellent marksman and loved clay and target shooting. In spite of his early years spent hunting, he truly had a soft spot for animals. That led to having many beloved pets over the years, on occasion he would bring home a puppy without any notice. He shared his love of cats and their antics with his daughter-in-law Leanne, and he adopted some special strays over the years. He always had a joke ready to go at any moment, and regardless of the outcome of his jokes, his laughter was infectious. He passed on a fiery spirit and sense of humor to his granddaughter Claire.

Larry had an amazing love of all kinds of outdoor adventure, which his grandson Jack has continued with great enthusiasm. His biggest passion throughout most of his life had been fishing. He enjoyed many deep-sea fishing trips with his dear friend Captain George, where they swam and slept out under the stars while traveling the Gulf Stream. On one special trip Larry landed a Bigeye tuna 40 miles off the coast of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. He was very proud of the 200-pound size, even though a shark took a bite out of it while reeling it in. He first fell in love with fishing remote backcountry lakes in Canada at 15 years old. But his favorite place to fish was Crotch Lake in Eastern Ontario, Canada. This became a very special place for him where he loved to camp and explore various islands on the lake. He travelled there a couple of times a year for the majority of his life and enjoyed taking his family for annual summer vacations to the rustic cabins on the lake. These were trips filled with good friends and countless fish fries on the sandy shores. Some of Larry’s most special memories were of the solo trips he would take to the lake with his son Todd, and they always came home with fishing tales that they reminisced about for years.

Larry is survived by his wife Sue Altemos of Lititz; daughter Megan Barnett of Chesterfield, VA; son Todd Altemos of Ephrata; son-in-law, Brock Barnett; daughter-in-law, Leanne Shelly Altemos; adored grandchildren Jack Barnett, Trent Altemos, and Claire Altemos; cat Harper; many sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews; and very many good friends. Larry requested that there be no services held for him, just have a beer by a pool in his honor. He also asked to support his love of animals by considering donating to your local SPCA or adopting a stray.