Larry G. Bale

Larry G. Bale, 87, formerly of Louisville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2026, at the home he and his wife shared in Sanford, NC, with his daughter, Beth (and Alli). He was surrounded by his loving family following a brief and sudden illness. They had just moved into the new addition on Beth and Alli’s home when Larry was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer. The disease took him from us suddenly in a matter of 2 weeks.

Larry is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, June Morris Bale, who was his sixth-grade sweetheart; two daughters, Anne Holland Braden (Bobby) of Raceland, Kentucky, and Katherine Elizabeth “Beth” Bale (Alli Hearne) of Sanford, North Carolina; two granddaughters, Abigail Braden (Sean Igoe) of New Haven, Connecticut, and Sarah Braden of Flatwoods, Kentucky; and one great-granddaughter, Harper Wellman of Flatwoods, Kentucky. He also leaves behind his two cherished cats, Biscuit and Honey, who faithfully slept by his side each night.

Larry graduated from Larue County High School and attended Murray State University, where he was a starting member of the basketball team. Basketball was always his true love and he played serious one-on-one games with friends up until he was in his 50’s. He went on to coach high school basketball for several years after college before embarking on a successful career in various types of sales, from pharmaceutical to helping schools do their group fundraisers. In later years, Larry and June owned and operated The Willow Tree, a beautiful ladies’ boutique in Louisville, Kentucky.

Larry will be remembered for his devotion to God and his family, his love of basketball and fishing, and sharing a good meal with family and friends. He was a teacher of all things, always teaching how to do something, from how to find the best fishing spot to how to drive from an early age (think sitting in Dad’s lap when our feet couldn’t reach the foot controls but we could steer the wheel on country roads) to how to pick out the best cut of meat in the grocery. Larry Bale was an extraordinary father to his two girls, giving them the most priceless gift of unconditional love and optimism, always believing and saying “you can do anything you set your mind to”. What a lifelong gift of self-esteem he gifted us. He was an incredible cook, always ready with a meal for June and anyone who visited, allowing June to operate her boutique and design her hats in the garage on a full stomach. His presence and love in June’s life was unwavering. Larry Bale is a life and personality that will be missed by many but celebrated in heaven by those saints that preceded him and have welcomed him home with open arms. Rest in peace, LB.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse, the American Cancer Society, or a local hospice organization.
A memorial service will be held at Church of Reconciliation at 110 N. Elliott Road in Chapel Hill, NC, on Sat., July 11, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. The service will be streamed via Zoom at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85272341382?pwd=Q2FHZlVtS3VaSXo1QUYwcVpROEZSdz09#success or go to “Church of Reconciliation, Chapel Hill” on YouTube.com.

Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/memorial-page/larry-g-bale-sanford-nc/
American Cancer Society: Donate.cancer.org
Hospice Foundation of America: https://hospicefoundation.org/donate