Lawrence “Larry” Dale Wilkinson, born April 29, 1948, to Mildred Elizabeth (Seiters) and Ernest Dale Wilkinson, celebrated his 75th birthday just six weeks ago. Larry finally got the checkered flag at the end of his race on Saturday, June 10, 2023, when he simply ran out of gas and rolled through the finish line. It was a peaceful celebration, and of course, there were a few tears as he accepted the ultimate trophy surrounded by his family.

Larry graduated in the first class of “Benton Central High School”, which was located in Montmorenci Indiana as it had not yet moved to it’s current location outside of Oxford. During high school, Larry had a very polished appearance, making sure not a hair was out of place. Larry worked part-time for Nick’s Car Sales in Otterbein, where he learned and most likely fine-tuned his auto body skills. We could probably credit the Nichols family for helping him become the mechanical mastermind he was. After graduation, Larry followed the footsteps of his older brothers and went to work for Rowe Truck, also located in Otterbein and then later went to work for Lafayette Truck Engineering.

It is known that Larry had a liking for fast cars, always competing with his brothers as to who had the faster ride. In his earlier years, he rode a Harley Davidson Sportster, and shortly thereafter came his pride and joy .. a 1970 Purple Dodge SuperBee with a 383. He loved that car almost as much as he enjoyed talking about it. Larry would be disappointed if we neglected to mention he was a Dale Earnhardt fan. There was another racer Larry was a fan of, his brother Johnny. Johnny raced at “HENRY’S SPEEDWAY” in Boswell, and Larry as well as their other brother Ronnie, were part of his crew. Every weekend they would load up and head to Boswell, to race #39 and compete to win the trophy. Larry couldn’t drive due to an accident in the 70s that left him partially paralyzed on one side, however, he would not let that stop him from living life to the fullest. He was one of a select few who could rise to meet the challenges he faced every day with a smile. Larry had compassion, he laughed at the end of every conversation and though his antics were sometimes inappropriate for a mixed crowd, they were legendary. Those who knew him will have their own stories to share. He was a practical joker with a heart of gold. You could always count on Larry saying “Do you mean to tell me …” followed by his funny interpretation of what you may or most likely did not say.

Whatever Larry set his mind to do, he was determined to get it done. Larry was the middle child of 11 in the Wilkinson family.  He was a welder, mechanic, fabricator, and automobile designer … wait, “automobile designer”? Ok, that may be a stretch, but if you are from Otterbein, you surely know about the “Platypus”. As mentioned earlier, Larry couldn’t drive. He built a three-wheel trike out of left-over bicycle parts, stretched it out to make it easier for him to get on/off, mounted a basket on the front for his little white dog Snowball, and they would ride all over town together, typically with a cigar hanging out of his mouth – not smoking it, just chewing the end. Winters became a challenge and along came the Platypus. The only thing the Australian mammal and Larry’s creation have in common is their “unique and odd characteristics”. The Platypus was created from a riding lawnmower, modified by adding a 4-cylinder Ford engine, and the body was fabricated from something unrecognizable … maybe that’s why he called it THE PLATYPUS. It had heat, protected him from the elements, and had a blade mounted to the front so he could blow out any drifts that might get in his way (or his mother’s driveway). There was even an 8-track player mounted inside so he could still listen to Elvis, or The Beatles (he had an extensive 8-track tape collection). Larry was a resilient figure in the face of adversity and a person who provided exemplary effort in everything he did.

Larry’s home was at the corner of Third and Meadow in Otterbein. He spent many tireless days (and also many nights) working in his garage, twisting metal or welding something together. He was proud of his skill and happy to share his knowledge if you wanted to learn. Most of the neighborhood kids would go to Larry’s to get air in their bicycle tires and then when those same kids grew up and learned how to drive, they would drive by Larry’s and instead of waiving, he would give them the spinning hand – indicating “light ‘em up – give me a burn out” .. followed by his notorious laugh. Larry worked hard and did get his driver’s license again later in life, and he  permanently parked the Platypus.

Larry has 26 nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and nephews. He is survived by his brother John Albert “Johnny” (wife Doris) Wilkinson and sister Donna Kathryn (husband Joe) Bryant, both from Otterbein IN; brother James Allen “Jim” (wife Tam) Wilkinson of LaPorte IN; brother Jerry Edwin Wilkinson of Kentland IN; brother Dave Arthur Wilkinson of Montmorenci IN; and sister Rose Marie Mikels of Lafayette IN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Dale Wilkinson and Mildred Elizabeth (Seiters) Wilkinson; two sisters Helen Louise Charlton and Carolyn Ann Butler, and two brothers Michael Francis and Ronald Eugene Wilkinson. Larry was also preceded in death by nephews Gerald (Gary) Warren Butler, Jeffery Alan Wilkinson, and Richard Ray Sowers; niece Tracy Ann (Wilkinson) Clevinger, and great-nephew Joshua Robert Butler.

A Celebration of Life will be held honoring Larry on Thursday, June 15, 2023 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm with services at 4:00 pm, Soller-Baker West Lafayette Chapel. The family asks that you please dress casually.