Lawrence Daniel Knien Obituary (1949 - 2015)

LAWRENCE DANIEL KNIEN 5/11/1949 - 8/20/2015 Lawrence Daniel Knien Age 66, of Seattle, WA - known to all affectionately as "Big" Larry - suddenly toppled from his awesome height of 6 foot 7 inches, drawing his last breath at home with his wife on August 20th when his heart simply stopped beating and he took his final exit (stage left) from our planet Earth. Larry was born in Portland, Oregon on 5/11/1949 and was raised with love by his mother Marie and adoptive father MSgt. Roald Knien. He graduated in 1967 from Lincoln High School in Seattle. After some college, he enlisted in the US Army in 1969, becoming a helicopter mechanic and serving his country honorably in Vietnam as a veteran of that war. "Big" was a stagehand in the I.A.T.S.E local # 15, long time Head Flyman at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, where he worked for the last 26 years. Larry loved the theatre, and spent many years taking such Broadway favorites as "Cats" and "Annie" on the road. Stagehands around the country fondly remember him as "Load-Out Larry". He also loved fishing, barbeque, riding his motorcycle and spending time with his dogs, Piper and Sunnee. He was an enthusiastic collector of many things. Larry leaves behind his wife Patti, his brother David Knien together with his wife Katie and their ever-growing family, and his younger brother Ken. He was preceded in death by his parents Marie and Roald Knien. Rumor has it that Larry's next venue will reunite him with the theatre dog, Odis, whom he loved dearly and who worked alongside him for many years until his passing. We all thank Larry for his service and his "Big" impact on our lives. We will miss his big heart, big smile and booming voice we can still hear echoing from the Paramount's Stage Left Fly Floor. Funeral Services will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery, 18600 S.E. 240th St, Covington, WA at 11 am on 10/8/2015, followed by a reception from 2 PM - 6 PM at Paramount Theatre 901 Pine St, Seattle. Please come prepared with Memories and photos to share. Hoffner Fisher & Harvey Guest book at harveyfuneral.com To send a flower arrangement in memory of Lawrence Daniel Knien, please click here to visit our sympathy store.