Lawrence Hubert

Lawrence (Larry) Hubert, age 99, of West Salem, Wisconsin, passed away on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Larry was born in Wilton, Wisconsin on September 28, 1926, to Herman and Martha (Mistele) Hubert. He was the sixth child (of eventually 13 children) in the Hubert household. He inherited his knack for gardening from his mother, and his fondness of poetry from his father. A lifelong Catholic, Larry's life was defined by his faith, his service, and his love of family.

As a child, Larry was raised on a dairy farm and attended St. Mary's School in Tomah. He began each weekday helping to milk the cows, then walked 5 miles to school; after class, he walked 5 miles home and helped milk the cows a second time before doing homework. At age 14, the state 4H club officials deemed him the "Healthiest Boy in Monroe County", earning him a 4-day trip to the Wisconsin State Fair.

A good student, Larry graduated with high marks from Tomah High School in 1944, as WWII was raging in Europe. At age 17 (and with permission from his father), he enlisted in the United States Navy. He proudly served for two years on the USS Hope, a hospital ship that carried wounded soldiers home from Japan. Upon return to the US, he worked several jobs before joining the New Melleray Abbey in Peosta, Iowa, where he spent 5 years as a seminarian. After careful contemplation, he decided to go back to school to become a Social Worker. To achieve this goal, he worked on the railroads for a period of time, then enrolled at the University of Minnesota.

While attending university, Larry also worked as an orderly at a children's hospital and even found time to join a church group for young adults, where he met the love of his life, Barbara O'Hair. He married her on August 26, 1961, the day after taking his final exams. He launched his career as a Social Worker in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where the couple started their family. Shortly thereafter, Larry received a scholarship to Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where he studied and received a Master's Degree in Social Work.

In 1970, the family, which now included four children, moved to West Salem. Larry worked as an Adoption Services Social Worker for the state of Wisconsin and was actively involved in the US Naval Reserves. In 1981, the family moved to Lancaster, where Larry was employed by Grant County. After retiring, he and Barbara returned to West Salem, and Larry spent many happy days gardening, beekeeping, playing cribbage, eating ice cream, and drinking homemade wine.

Throughout his 35 year career as a Social Worker and his 31 years in the Navy Reserves, Larry remained active in the church. He was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, and served various roles such as Faithful Navigator, historian, newsletter editor, event

planner, and Tootsie Roll fundraiser. In 2003, when the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadelupe opened in La Crosse, Larry volunteered as a gardener and tour guide, which he continued for more than 20 years.

Always open to learning something new, Larry took up cello lessons in his seventies and played with a local orchestra. In his eighties, he studied to become a Master Gardener, and applied his skills at the Shrine. He was selected for a Freedom Honor Flight, where he traveled to Washington D.C. with a group of veterans to tour war monuments. This was an especially moving and meaningful trip.

For his 90th birthday, he asked for a "low key" celebration... in New Orleans! Larry and Barb, accompanied by daughter-in-law Sandy, packed their bags and enjoyed a long weekend in The Big Easy. During their visit to the National WWII Museum, Larry recorded his wartime experiences for the museum archives. At age 93, he traveled with a church group to Japan, exploring the beautiful churches, temples, and holy sites. His travel adventures were high on his list of favorite memories.

When asked for his secret to longevity, Larry would smile and say, "A sense of humor!", and punctuate it with a classic Hubert thumbs up. Yet he would also add that his everyday goals were to follow the Golden Rule, be helpful to others, and strive for excellence, as it leads to constant improvement.

Larry is survived by his wife of 64 years, Barbara, and their four children and spouses: Raymond (Alice) Hubert of Muscoda; Patrick (Sandy) Hubert of Albany; Margaret (Jim) Cox of West Salem; and Matthew (Sarah) Hubert of Monroe, Wisconsin. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and sisters Liz Rottman and Cecilia Klapproth, all of whom brought him great joy and laughter.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM, on Friday, May 1st, at St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish, 210 West Hamlin Street, West Salem. Visitation will be at 9:30am with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30am, followed by lunch and interment with Military Honors at Gates of Heaven Cemetery, County Road B, La Crosse.