It is with great sadness that the family of Lawrence Rehfeld announces his passing. On the afternoon of March 28th, 2019 he was in a motorcycle accident near Barrego Springs, CA which ultimately claimed his life.
He was 79 years old, and lived in Arvada CO. In recent years, he spent his winter months residing in Yuma, AZ in the company of friends.
Larry was born on August 5th, 1939 in Julesburg CO to parents Hans Rehfeld & Madgalen Schmidtline. He is survived by his 2 children, Chris and Steve, his brother Eugene Rehfeld, and sisters Marilyn Rehfeld & Delores "Dee" Rehfeld.
He proudly served multiple terms in the Army during the Vietnam War, working with Aircraft, which led to his career in the Commercial Airline Industry.
He worked for United Airlines for many decades as an A&P Mechanic, from which he retired from over a decade ago. He went to High School in Colorado, and did further coursework in Aircraft Powerplants at Palo Alto Adult School in Palo Alto, CA.
He had a love for nature, in particular the mountains, so he spent much of his time in the Rocky Mountains camping, riding his bicycle, skiing, hunting, or just exploring. You may have heard him lament the hecticness of the city, yearning for his next trip to get away from it all in the mountains or on the plains.
There were few things that he wouldn't do himself, as he was a true do-it-yourselfer, and his mechanical aptitude was utilized in many of his hobbies. He always liked working on automobiles - in the past classic cars and hot rods, and more recently motorcycles.
He was an active member of various clubs in Yuma, AZ. He frequented "The Moose", a clubhouse where he enjoyed food, song, and dance. He also belonged to the Cholla Gun Club, where he participated in weekly target practice competitions. And finally, he would gather with friends a few times per week for motorcycle rides through AZ and southern CA. He really enjoyed riding his motorcycle.
He was a loving Father who made many sacrifices in life for his children.
Larry was on a routine motorcycle cruise with a group of friends. They were a bit west of Barrego Springs, CA when he failed to negotiate a turn, hitting a guardrail on HWY S22.
The medical examiner declared the cause of death as Blunt Force Trauma to the chest. However, a professional friend of Larry's who was with him believes that he had a stroke, and that the impairment of the stroke caused the crash.
A Celebration of Larry's life will be held at 11am on Saturday April 20th, at the Horan & McConaty Arvada Chapel at 7577 W. 80th Avenue, Arvada, Colorado 80003. If possible please RSVP by contacting Chris at rehfeldchris@gmail.com.