Larry Phillip Lancaster, 66, of Rapid City SD, left us on October 31, 2018. Larry was born December 5, 1951 in Miles City, MT.

Larry's father, Phillip Lancaster, served in WWII. Upon returning home he and his wife, Beulah Lancaster, started their family. Larry was the first boy of the family, the third of six children, and the third of four children with Down syndrome. His oldest sister, Marsha, passed from complications with pneumonia at four, when Larry was an infant. During his childhood he attended the Boulder River School in Boulder, MT during the school year with his older sister Leal, as was customary at the time for people with Down syndrome. There Larry developed speech and social skills. Leal passed from leukemia in her mid-teens, after which time Larry did not return to Boulder, but stayed in Miles City with his remaining three siblings.

In Miles City, the family lived on a farm, where Larry and his siblings would help tend to the various farm animals, including cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, goats, and horses, and assist with canning their garden's vegetables. Larry's father, Phillip, was also a carpenter by trade and Larry would frequently go with him on jobs.

Phillip passed in 1972. Shortly thereafter Larry's mother, Beulah, moved with Larry and his youngest sibling, Faye, to Rapid City SD to be closer to family. In Rapid City, Larry and Faye participated in services from Black Hills Works, while living at home with their mother. During this time Larry enjoyed bowling, participating in Special Olympics, attending Camp Friendship, and learning karate, where he earned a yellow belt. He also enjoyed art and drawing and had a special talent for very accurately drawing the items around him. Larry loved food and sweets, and rarely finished a meal without saying "That was good."

Larry worked in the kitchen at The Bandit Inn on Ellsworth Air Force Base for many, many years. In 2010 Rich Hern, of the Bandit Inn, said "Larry Lancaster, one of our civilian employees, has been working here for more than ten years and he is one of the best workers we've got."

Larry was social, outgoing, always willing to help, and had an infectious laugh. Larry's assistance at home with things like vacuuming, taking out the trash, and doing dishes allowed his mother to stay in her own home as her health declined, for longer than she would have been able to otherwise.

Larry had a close relationship with his younger sister, Faye, and a special "buddy" relationship with his nephew-in-law, Roger Fischer.

Larry was preceded in death by his older sisters, Marsha and Leal, and parents, Phillip and Beulah. He is survived by his sisters Carol Chabot (Bozeman, MT) and Faye Lancaster (Rapid City, SD), his niece Amber Fischer and her husband Roger Fischer (Bozeman, MT), and his brother Bruce Lancaster (Texas).

The family would like to extend whole hearted thanks to Black Hills Works for their love and support for Larry over his many years with them, and especially as his health declined.

The family would also like to thank Rapid City Regional Health Hospice House for the compassionate and amazing end of life care they provided Larry and the caring emotional support they provided his niece, Amber, while he was there.

Larry's life will be celebrated with a ceremony for family and friends on January 22, 2019 at 10:00am at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home, 2700 Jackson Blvd, Rapid City, SD.

Memorials may be made in Larry's name to Camp Friendship, PO Box 1986, Rapid City, SD 57709. www.campfriendship.org