Larry J. Vink, 78, Topeka, entered into eternal peace on June 8, 2013 at Lexington Place Care Home. He was born Feb. 22, 1935 to Lloyd and Mary (Grow) Vink in Great Bend. Larry ran heavy equipment for Barton County Hi-way starting at age 16. He ran it for four years.  He farmed and worked in oil fields until he started his own business, L-V Excavating in Hoisington. In 1976, he moved his family to Topeka to manage Capital Equipment. He continued doing excavating until retirement in 1990.
Larry married Joan Helen Debs Oct. 16, 1954. She preceded him in death on Feb. 1, 2009. Larry was a softball pitcher for the Hoisington Beavers and later managed girl’s fast and slow pitch softball in Hoisington and Topeka for several years.
He is survived by: five children, Marilyn Fairchild, Richard (Norma) Vink, Brenda Wilson, all of Topeka, Jane (George) Rice, Hoisington, and Kimberly (Eric) Loring, Prior Lake, Minn.; six grandchildren, Tonya (Jeff) Deal, Adam (Kelly) Rice, Andrew Fairchild, Collin Wilson, Zachary and Luke Loring; two great-grandchildren, Andrew Fairchild and Piper Deal. Larry was preceded in death by two sons-in-law, Ron Fairchild and Greg “Buzz” Wilson.
Cremation is planned. Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. at Davidson Funeral Home. Visitation will be one hour before services at the funeral home.
Inurnment will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Hospice or St. Francis Heart Center and sent in care of Davidson Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made to davidsonfuneral.com.
Funeral arrangements provided by    
1035 N. Kansas Ave.
Topeka, KS 66608
Great Bend (Kan) Tribune, June 12, 2013**