Obituary of Lawrence "Larry" Creed

Lawrence “Larry” Creed, 82, husband of Clara Ellen McElveen Creed, died Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at his home. Born December 22, 1941, in St. Louis, MO, he was a son of the late John Austin Creed and Mary Hazel Coleman Creed. Mr. Creed joined the U.S. Air Force when he was 18 years old and was soon assigned to Shaw Air Force Base where he met and married his wife Ellen to whom he was married sixty years. A veteran of two wars (Vietnam and Desert Storm) he retired his nations service as a Senior Master Sergeant and continued his work as a lineman for General Telephone Company until his retirement in 1997. In his spare time, Larry found great joy in serving the church. He was on staff as youth director of Surfside Baptist Church and mentored Junior Achievers in nearby Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He and his family returned to Sumter where he joined Alice Drive Baptist Church and was a member until his passing. He is survived by his wife; a son, Lawrence Creed, Jr.; a daughter, Leigh Creed Hiatt (John); a brother, Harold Ray Creed (Judy); six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many loving nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, John A. Creed and a sister, Rebecca Janakowski. Funeral services will be held at 2 P.M. Friday, October 18, 2024, in the Chapel of the Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home with Rev. Clay Smith officiating. Burial will be in the Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors. Pallbearers will be grandchildren, Christopher Hiatt, Mikayla Hiatt, Logan Hiatt, Baylee Hiatt, Peyton Hiatt, and Cadence Hiatt. The family will receive friends from 1:30 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. Friday at the Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Parkinsons Foundation, 200 SE 1st. Street, Miami, FL 33131. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386