Larry Edward Stoltenberg, 81, of Davenport, died on Feb. 28, 2023, in Durham, N.C. He was born on Nov. 15, 1941. Larry graduated from North Scott High School, received his BS degree in agronomy and chemistry from Iowa State University and master’s degree in soil science and chemistry from Montana State University.
Larry was Vietnam combat veteran, promoted to captain in the U.S. Army, and after his tour of duty in Vietnam, he served in the Illinois Army National Guard as captain. He earned a Bronze Star, Air Medal and several more medals and ribbons for his military service.
After the military, he went back to Davenport to help with the family farm with his father while serving the Illinois Army National Guard in the Quad Cities. Next, Larry was employed as USDA Extension director in Bremer County, Iowa. Later, Larry married Mary Crowson from Birmingham, Ala.
They moved to Emmetsburg, Iowa, where he was college professor and faculty advisor for agronomy and farm management students at Iowa Lakes Community College.
Later, after Iowa Lakes, he accepted a job with Nachurs Plant Food Company as agronomy manager in the Midwest region, that eventually led to promotion as director of agronomy at Nachurs in its corporate office in Marion, Ohio. When Nachurs downsized their company, Larry moved to Durham, N.C., where he worked at Duke University as research scientist and eventually to another position as research scientist at Trimeris in Research Triangle Park, working with a team of four scientists for peptide he discovered at Duke that led to HIV fusion inhibitor Fuzeon (T-20) Enfuvutide. When Trimeris was sold, he moved to Atlanta, Ga., for a position at USDA in cooperation with U.S. Homeland Security as agricultural specialist, monitoring chemicals, biological agents entering the country at Hartsfield Jackson Airport. He retired from that position in 2012 and moved to Mexico Beach, Fla., with his wife Mary, and also spent part-time in their North Carolina home in Durham where his daughter Lisa and her husband and family lives.
Larry’s hobbies were photography, gardening, woodworking. When he was growing up in Iowa, he was active in 4-H, and he was awarded many ribbons at the Iowa State Fair for his farm work with animals and crops.
Larry was baptized, and a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society and/or Bettendorf, Iowa, Volunteer Firefighters Association Fund in honor of his sister, Irma Peitscher.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Stoltenberg; daughter Lisa (son-in-law Javier) Alarcon, Durham N.C.; sons Randolph Stoltenberg, Lawton, Okla., Christopher Stoltenberg, Lawton, Okla.; grandson Nicholas Alarcon; granddaughter Nora Alarcon.
In addition, he was preceded in his death by his son, Montgomery Stoltenberg; and by his father, Henry Stoltenberg; and his mother; Stella (Golinghorst) Stoltenberg; sisters Roma Roehs and Irma Peitscher.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at Hall-Wynne Funeral Chapel, 1113 W. Main St., Durham. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral chapel. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery, Durham.
Custom obituary