Lawrence David “Larry” Kulcke

Lawrence David “Larry” Kulcke was born on December 24, 1942, on a military base in Long Branch, NJ. Shortly after his birth, his family returned to Monroe, LA, where he lived for decades. In seventh grade, he met Tavie Kenny, his eventual high school sweetheart, bride, and the love of his life. Within months after their high school graduation, Larry and Tavie married. He worked as a chemist at Olin Mathieson in Monroe prior to being called by God to the music ministry. To prepare for that call, he attended Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana Monroe) and graduated in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in music. Shortly thereafter, he began seminary studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Ft. Worth, TX). During the early days of seminary, he received a call to become the full-time music minister at Summer Grove Baptist Church, Shreveport, LA. He served at Summer Grove with Pastor Billy Crosby and, after five years of blessed ministry, joined “Brother Billy” in a 1979 move to Houston, TX. There they both served at Northwest Memorial Baptist Church (now Houston NW Church). In 1986, Larry answered a new call, to serve as Minister of Music at Colonial Heights Baptist Church, Jackson, MS. He served that congregation faithfully until his retirement in 2007. The last two years of his ministry at Colonial Heights were spent as their pastoral care minister. In 2014, he and Tavie moved to Brandon, MS, and became faithful members of Brandon Baptist Church.

Larry is survived by Tavie, his beloved wife of sixty-four years, and two daughters and their husbands, Kris Waggoner (and Earl) and Shelly Jones (and Jimmie). He has six grandchildren Brooke Waggoner Odum, Luke Waggoner, Philip Waggoner, Anna Jones Dressel, Bethany Jones Vignes, Mark Jones, and their dear spouses. He also has been blessed with ten great-grandchildren.