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| After a private service last Thursday for former Plymouth Township Fire Chief Larry Groth, the funeral procession passes by Township Fire Station 1 on Haggerty Road. A restored 1936 Seagrave Safety Sedan fire wagon owned by the Detroit Fire Department led the procession. The antique vehicle reserved for fallen firefighter comrades and other dignitaries was retired in 1967 and later converted for use as a hearse. |
Chief Groth, 78, died on June 27, 2020. He moved to Plymouth with his family in 1950 and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1960 and immediately joined the City of Plymouth Fire Department. In 1965, he joined the Plymouth Township Fire Department where he was steadily promoted, becoming chief in 1979. He served as Plymouth Township Fire Chief until his retirement in 2003.
According to his family, Chief Groth loved his career as a firefighter. They agreed that he “lived and breathed the career he loved for over 40 years.” In his official obituary, his family noted that Chief Groth “was a hero, he was courageous and he was a mentor to so many. It takes a special kind of person to become a firefighter. Whether Larry had to run through a burning building, cut a driver out of a vehicle at an accident scene, or teach children about fire safety, he knew that his job was not about the glory, but more about how many lives you can change.”
Chief Groth was born in South Lyon, the son of Charles and Donna (née Sayre) Groth. He was the beloved and devoted husband of 38 years to Sandra; loving father of Larry (Kristi) Groth, Jr., Stephanie (Louis) Carney, and Timothy Groth; proud grandfather of Alyssa Groth, Ryan Groth, Tyler Groth, Jacob Carney, Emily Carney, Lilly Carney, and Alissa (Scott) Carruth; great-grandfather of Brayden and Skyler. He is also survived by his brothers, Richard Groth and Paul (Linda) Groth, his sisters-in-law, Brenda (James) Dingman, Darla (Kevin) LaForge , Glenda Halstead and the late Lisa Bear. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Mark Bear and many nieces and nephews.
A funeral service for family members took place last week preceding the procession to Mount Hope Memorial Gardens led by the restored 1936 Seagrave Safety Sedan fire wagon owned by the Detroit Fire Department. The antique vehicle reserved for fallen firefighter comrades and other dignitaries was retired in 1967 and later converted for use as a hearse.
Final arrangements were entrusted to the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home in Plymouth
Those who wish to honor Chief Groth's memory are invited to consider a contribution that will allow his family to create a Larry F Groth Scholarship Fund for future firefighters at the Schoolcraft College Fire Academy.
