Laurance A. Luder
Laurance A. Luder of Media, Pa., formerly of Swarthmore, died on Friday, August 2, 2019. He was 71.
Larry was born on June 20, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pa., to Arnold Luder and Lenore Blundin Luder. A 1966 graduate of Swarthmore High School, he spent the majority of his career with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and was the manager of facility safety at the time of his retirement. At Wyeth he met his wife Mary. They would have celebrated 43 years of marriage on August 7.
Larry was a third generation Swarthmorean and lived in the borough until 2016. Passionate about serving his community, he joined the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association at the age of 19. Larry held the ranks of firefighter, engineer, chief engineer, safety officer, treasurer, and most notably president, for 37 years. He often mentored new members, hosted children’s birthday parties at the firehouse, guided restoration of two antique fire trucks and was the founding President of the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Historical Association. He was a member and president of the ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers) and NFPA (National Fire and Protection Association), as well as a Certified Fire Protection Specialist. He received the Swarthmore Rotary Community Service Award in 1996 and the Swarthmore Citizen of the Year Award in 2011.
Larry loved traveling, trains, and home improvement projects. He was an avid fan of Strath Haven football and the Haven marching band. He was a longtime member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wallingford and recently of Advent Lutheran Church in West Chester. He was thrilled to become a grandfather in January.
Larry is survived by his wife Mary Wurster Luder; daughter Laura (Art) Kalemkarian; granddaughter Hope Kalemkarian; brother Richard Luder; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Marty and Nancy Knorr; two nieces; and cousins, Janet Redding and Bonnie Redding.
Visitation will be Saturday, September 7, from 9 to 11:00 a.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 927 S. Providence Road, Wallingford, PA 19086.
The memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. at the church.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Pastor Chris Franz and the Lima Estates Skilled Nursing and Hospice staff for the loving care they gave to Larry.
Memorial donations may be made to: Swarthmore Fire and Protective Historical Association, Laurance A. Luder Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 261, Swarthmore, PA 19081.
