LeJeune, Laurence "Larry" of Wayzata passed away peacefully on August 12, 2021, at the age of 85. Larry was born on August 5, 1936, in Minneapolis to Edna and Louis LeJeune. He and his wife Jean met at the age of 16 and they would have celebrated 65 years of marriage on September 8, 2021. The foundations of Larry's life were faith, family, and friends. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and there was nothing better than receiving one of his hugs. He had the gift of making everyone in his life feel special. He graduated from DeLaSalle High School and attended the University of Minnesota before beginning his business career. Larry and his brother Tom purchased LeJeune Steel Company, a small steel fabricating business, from their father. Larry bought out his brother in the late 1970's and grew it into a successful company that built the Minneapolis Convention Center, most of the skyways in Minneapolis, and many other major structures in the Twin Cities and surrounding region. In 1989, he transitioned full-time into revitalizing Carousel Automobiles, a business he had acquired a decade earlier. He transformed that single dealership into a bigger enterprise by putting great value in his employees and emphasizing customer service. Larry served on a number of corporate boards, most notably Richfield Bank & Trust, Vaughn's, and Fabcon. He also served in leadership roles in the American Institute of Steel Construction and the Minneapolis Builder's Exchange. Larry was a dedicated community volunteer and generous philanthropist. He served as Board Chair of the Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts and served multiple terms on the boards of DeLaSalle High School and the University of St. Thomas, where he was a founding member of the Board of Governors for its Law School. Through their family foundation, Larry and Jean supported dozens of local organizations with an emphasis on people and families in need, higher education, and the arts. Larry and Jean's spirit of adventure inspired them to share international travel with their entire family, which provided an education for their grandchildren and created a wonderful family foundation filled with great memories. They discovered downhill skiing in their 40's and started raising and riding horses in their 60's. Larry was also an avid reader, and a lover of music, golf, and bird hunting. His Dollar Lake Duck Camp was a favorite spot to spend fall weekend days with his family and friends. In addition to Jean, Larry is survived by daughters Lisa LeJeune (Bill Martin), Laura LeJeune, Renee (John) Hallberg, Amy (Andy) Krane and son Mike (Cindy) LeJeune, 13 grandchildren (Joe, Nick, Lauren, Gabbie, Greta, Peter, Andrew, Charlie, Lucas, Annalise, Elisabeth, Jenny, and William) and 14 great grandchildren (Thomas, Alexandra, Louis, Mae, Hank, Catherine, Maddie, Annie, Connor, Lucie-Marie, Leo, Mikey, Louis and Ginny Jean). He is also survived by brother Tom of Scottsdale, AZ, sister Rita (Bud) Engelbrecht of Edina, MN, sister D'Ann Avery of Ocala, FL, and many nieces and nephews. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, brother Jim, sister-in-law Karen LeJeune, brother-in-law Doug Avery, great-granddaughter Rosemary Sue LeJeune and nephew John LeJeune. What his family will miss most is his quick wit, warm hugs, and the twinkle in his eye. A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, September 6 at 4:00 PM at Wayzata Country Club (200 Wayzata Blvd W). Please join us to honor his life and legacy. Burial will be private. Memorials preferred to the Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts, the University of St. Thomas, or the DeLaSalle High School Scholarship Fund.

Published on August 29, 2021