Strong like Bohl - Larry Bohl’s fight against Cancer

Our father Larry is in the fight of his life. In early March, a month before his 61st birthday, he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

He was told by the surgical team here that he was inoperable, but with his drive & determination, the help & medical knowledge of our sister-in-law, support of his family & friends, 3 surgical opinions from Henry Ford Cancer Center, U of M & the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, we were led to Froedtert Hospital & the Wisconsin College of Medicine in Milwaukee. In late June, Larry & Patti made the trip out to meet with Dr. Evans and his amazing care team to get the news that at a stage 3a diagnosis, Dr. Evans could perform the Whipple Surgery that Larry would need to save his life.

He has conquered many rounds of chemotherapy since April and is now doing rigorous radiation to prepare him for this surgery in mid-October.

Larry was a G.I. football player, a 1982 graduate and long-time resident of Grosse Ile. He worked in the G.I. school system for many years while running his own tree service on the island. After getting his turf master's degree, he was hired by the Trenton School System as their head groundskeeper in 2004. As a Trenton resident since 2006, he took great pride in tending to their award-winning football field and all other outside sports fields until his retirement in 2016. As someone who doesn’t like to sit still, he then took a position at Trenton’s DPW a month later and has been working there since.

We are a blended family of 5 siblings and he is a loving husband, father, bonus dad, grandfather of 5, a son, brother/brother-in-law, and uncle. Larry is a fighter with a devout Christian faith. As a friend to many, it is nearly impossible to find someone who does not have kind things to say about him. My mom Patti always jokes, “Larry, Larry, Larry, everyone loves Larry”, although she’s not wrong!

We have been told by many who know him that he is one of the toughest men they have ever met, but one with a giant and generous heart. When asked about his faith by his medical staff when first diagnosed, he said that he was in a win-win situation. He was either going home to be with the Lord or getting a second chance to stay here a while longer to be with us and praise Jesus. We think that is quite the answer. For our sake and the sake of his grandchildren, we are praying for that second chance.

With the enormous mounting medical bills, loss of work since March, and travel expenses for him and Patti to travel to Milwaukee for at least a 21-day stay during surgery and recovery before he can travel back home, we are humbly asking for any support you are able to give so they are able to focus on being strong enough for this next battle they are about to face, and the continued battle during his recovery once he is home.

We thank you for taking the time to read this. We know that times are hard for many, so we ask that if you are not able to donate, that you please add him and our family to your prayers. The power of prayer is his best defense!

As Larry ends most conversations with, God is good, we will end with, All the time!

With thanks & love,

The Family of Larry Bohl Sr.

Strong Like Bohl