Larry Douglas PreussLarry Douglas Preuss passed away peacefully in his home on June 15, 2017 in Ft. Collins, CO at the age of 73, his adoring children by his side. Larry was a kind, quietly generous and honorable man: a devoted father, grandfather, son, uncle and friend. The impact Larry had on the lives of those of us who loved him cannot be fully expressed, and he will be missed always. Larry is survived by his daughter, Kristin (Devin) Preuss Martinez of Ft. Collins; son, Nathan Preuss of Knoxville, TN; sister, Sharon Rotella of Chandler, AZ; former spouse and lifelong friend Nadine (Tom) Thomsen; granddaughters Ellie, Sophie and Marisa Martinez of Ft. Collins; Douglas (Shannon) Rotella; grandniece, Stevie Lynn; niece Sherry Rotella (Mark) Parrish; grandnephew, Connor; and grandniece, Jessica (daughter of Lynn Rotella). He was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Myrtle Preuss, of Ft. Collins; and nephew, Lynn Rotella of Vancouver, WA. Larry was born on March 22, 1944 in Los Angeles, CA to Stanley and Myrtle (Beckman) Preuss. Larry's family moved to Midway, NE in 1945, and then to Pine Ridge, SD in 1955 where his parents ran a general store. He graduated from Oglala Community School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota in 1962, and then from Chadron State College in 1967 with a degree in Political Science. He married Nadine Thomsen in 1966. Larry later received his Master's degree in Communications from Colorado State University. Larry enlisted in the Air Force in 1967, and served until 1971, as an Armed Forces Radio and TV Specialist in Galena, Alaska. Prior to his time in the Air Force, Larry had been a radio announcer for radio stations in Chadron, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota. Larry and Nadine moved to Ft. Collins, CO in 1972 when Larry started his career at Colorado State University in the Office of Instructional Services, where he remained until his retirement in 2003. Larry loved exploring the natural beauty of Colorado. He hiked and backpacked extensively throughout Colorado's northern ranges. He enjoyed sharing these experiences with his children, and he even taught his son how to drive on the Jeep trails in the San Juan Range in southern Colorado. Being in the mountains part time wasn't enough, so Larry and his son built a log home in the mountains, which he and his family enjoyed for years. Larry also earned his FAA class 3 pilot's license following his retirement. He owned and flew a Cesna 172, and loved sharing his passion for flying with family and friends. Larry's unwavering devotion to family lead him to sell his mountain home and move back into town in 2006 so that he could be a continual support to his mother, until her death in 2015, and also so that he could spend as much time as possible with his granddaughters. Larry never missed a single event involving his granddaughters, and he took great joy in his time with them. A memorial service will be held at Allnutt Funeral Service, Ft. Collins, on October 14 at 10:00am. Memorial donations to be made to Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation. https://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/