Larry William Kirsch, age 85, resident of Bolingbrook passed from this world to the next at Oak Trace Rehabilitation Center in Downers Grove on March 26. He was born on September 2, 1938 to William and Evelyn Kirsch in Traverse City, MI where he spent his happy youth living on the bay with his parents and two sisters, Sharon and Kathy. He was on the high school golf team and graduated from Traverse City Central HS. In1956, he moved to Chicago to attend DeVry College. In 1969, he graduated with highest honors from U of I Chicago with a BS in Information Engineering. He was awarded the esteemed Bell Honor Award in 1970. He earned an MS at UIC in 1975. He was awarded a PHD in Electrical Engineering at U of I Champaign. For 14 years, he was employed at Argonne National Laboratory in the Components Technology Division. He published a number of papers and taught at UIC as an Adjunct Professor. He moved to AT&T Bell Labs/Lucent for 13 years where he was a published researcher including several patents. He retired, then taught at DeVry for 12 years. He retired again and taught at College of DuPage. He retired for good in 2017. He enjoyed biking, traveling, playing golf, racquet ball and tennis with his wife Marty. They also enjoyed watching all types of sports on TV as well as their kids and grandkid’s baseball games and tennis matches. His Michigan roots went deep, and he cheered on all MI teams but most fervently U of M. Some say he bled blue. It was a banner day in his life to see Michigan win the college football playoff championship in 2024. He was also a big fan of the great tennis player Roger Federer. He married Sue Joiner in 1964. They had two sons, Noel and Lance. They later divorced. He then married Marty Rees on May 29, 1988. He is survived by his wife Marty and his blended family including sons Noel (Michelle) PA, Lance (Kathryn) IL, stepchildren Deborah Freischlag (Peter) CO & AZ, Douglas Rees (Sharon) CO, Brian Rees (Lori) OR, and grandchildren Bobby, Emma, Ewan, Kyle (Mycaela), Cody, Clara, Hazel, Daniel and Trekker, and two great grandchildren Finn and Lyla, and two nieces Sue and Kris. He was predeceased by his parents and two sisters. Besides his distinguished career, Larry will be remembered for being well read with an interest in WWII, his famous baked beans recipe, love of all genres of music and his favorite artists, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Pink Floyd, and being a warrior after coming back from various surgeries. He will long be remembered and missed by friends and family and most of all his wife and soulmate Marty. A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at a later date. In remembrance of Larry’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Morton Arboretum, where Larry and Marty had their first date, or to Doctors Without Borders. Cremation rites and arrangements made by Hallowell & James Funeral Home in Downers Grove, IL.