Robert Larry Holmes, age 80, lost a lengthy battle with Parkinson's Disease on August 7, 2024, and went home to be with the Lord. He was the beloved husband of Mary (nee Brown) Holmes, and the loving father of Sheila (Garry) Pennycuff and Rhonda (David) Mick. He was also the proud grandfather of Emma and Daniel Mick. He is survived by his foster brother Joe Hill and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Denver and Margaret (nee Jenkins) Holmes and his siblings, Fred Holmes, Reva Bullock, and Everett Holmes.

Larry loved Jesus, his family, and his friends. He devoted his life to spreading the gospel to folks first as a local minister in the Christian Church, and then as a church planter as Director of Christian Evangelizing Fellowship in Cincinnati, Ohio. In these roles he served countless churches in the southwest Ohio, southeast Indiana, and northern Kentucky area. Many souls were won to Christ and influenced and nurtured through his work.

Larry was born in Lynch, Kentucky, and moved with his family to Cincinnati when he was 7 years old. He graduated from Little Miami High School in 1962, and married Mary Brown in 1967. They were married for 57 years. He worked at General Electric in Cincinnati, until going into full time ministry in 1973. He attended Louisville Bible College, in Louisville, Kentucky, and received a Bachelor's degree in Bible Studies in 1978. He also found time to start his own small business in 1987 — Success Distributors and created and sold specialty advertising for 30 years. It thrilled him to be able to come up with a specialty pen, tote bag, or key chain to help businesses promote themselves. He and his best friend, Max Walker, had a blast going to trade shows. Oh, the fun they had together!

He enjoyed a full life of fun, faith, and service, with his family and friends. He loved cars, books, gardening, classic country music, fishing in Canada with his brother Fred, a good corny joke, NFL and the Cincinnati Bengals, and ice cream - vanilla being his absolute favorite! His care workers at The Christian Villages at Mason, Hospice, and his family, made sure he had plenty of ice cream, right until the end! Much gratitude goes out to Otterbein at Maineville and the Christian Village At Mason, where he lived the last 7 years of his life, as well as Hospice.

Family and friends will be received on Tuesday, August 13 from 10-11 AM at the Stone Worship Center at Christian Village Mason, 411 Western Row Rd., Mason, where celebration of life services will be held at 11 AM. Interment will be at Maineville Cemetery immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Christian Benevolent Association.