Family and friends are remembering Larry Hilden and sharing this with the community:
Laurence Roland Hilden passed away peacefully at his home at age 94 on April 24, 2022.
He was born in Hager City, WI to Arthur and Ruth Hilden. After graduating from school, he joined the US Navy a month before his 18th birthday in November 1945. He served aboard the USS Trippe (DD-403) and participated in the Operation Crossroads nuclear weapons tests at Bikini Atoll on July 25, 1946.
After returning from the service, he worked at the Red Wing Shoe Factory where he met his wife, Elaine. They were married in Red Wing, MN in June 1949 and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1951, eventually settling in Ballard in 1962. Laurence (known as “Larry” by his customers) owned and operated G&B Shoe Rebuilders (“If the shoe fits, repair it”) in the West Seattle Junction for 41 years.
He enjoyed traveling, playing guitar, writing song lyrics, boating, voracious reading, crossword puzzles, daily walks at Golden Gardens, and he especially enjoyed taking the “devil’s advocate” position in spirited and lively conversations.
He was preceded in death by his wife Elaine in 2005. He is survived by his daughters Loreli Tarsiuk (Terry) and Elana Bryan West (Chuck West); grandchildren Justin Tarsiuk (Kristen), Alissa Tarsiuk, Jackson Bryan, and great-grandson Rocco Tarsiuk. He is also survived by his brother Floyd Hilden, sister Jeanne McArthur, and his aunt (yes, his aunt!) Ruby Foley of Red Wing, MN.
He was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery in Ballard on May 14, 2022.
Memorial contributions may be made to Ballard NW Senior Center.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
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