Larry Vee Shumway died peacefully at his home in Provo, Utah on May 20, 2026. He was born in Winslow, Arizona, on November 25, 1934, to James Carroll Shumway and Merle Kartchner. At the age of three, the family moved to the small eastern Arizona town St. Johns, a town he always held in the highest esteem.

After growing up in a musical home, Larry took a serious interest in learning and playing several instruments, which was an ability he held all his life.His children never doubted his ability to play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” using a chair, and his grandchildren fondly remember him playing a didgeridoo, much to their delight. As a young boy, Larry learned the virtues of hard work while helping at his father’s service station, where he patched tires, changed oil, and discovered the satisfaction of working with his hands.

From 1954 – 1957, Larry served an LDS mission in the Northern Far-East Mission in Japan. During this time, he grew to deeply love Japanese culture and music, which became interests that would shape the course of his life and career.

Upon returning home from his LDS mission, Larry attended Brigham Young University and graduated in 1960 with a degree in Music Education. He later earned a master’s degree in Asian Studies from Seton Hall University in 1964 before pursuing doctoral studies in Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington.

While attending the University of Washington, Larry met his future wife, Sandra Patricia Leece, in the student ward where he served as the ward choir director. They married in the Manti Temple in 1971.

In 1972, Larry and Sandra, along with their eldest child, Nathan, spent a year in Japan while he conducted doctoral research as a Fulbright scholar. While there,he excelled in learning to play the koto and studied and transcribed Kibigaku, a Shinto ritual musical tradition.With a wife and child, Larry was regarded by his Japanese mentors as a serious scholar and was welcomed into musical circles not easily accessible to outsiders. He completed his PhD in 1974, after which the family settled in Provo, Utah, where Larry joined the faculty at Brigham Young University. At BYU, he taught various courses, including World Music Cultures, Introduction to Asian Humanities, and Japanese Culture. Larry passed on his love for diverse music, including the fiddle and guitar he grew up with.

Larry served faithfully in many Church callings throughout his life. Perhaps his longest and most beloved service was as a Cub Master, a role that perfectly suited his natural gift of ham.

Larry leaves behind two important collections of non-Western music: his work on Kibigaku, and his extensive recordings and films documenting traditional music in Tonga. His penchant for non-Western music was affectionately referred to by his wife as “a liking for a twang and a thud.” He also leaves a legacy of pioneer- era fiddle tunes that he learned from his grandfather, Kenner Kartchner, as well as treasured family songs collected by his mother, Merle Kartchner Shumway.

Larry is survived by his dear wife, Sandra; his children, Nathan (Alison), Nolan (BJ), Brendan, Kirsten, Duncan (Callee), and Andrew; and sixgrandchildren who will miss their Gramps. He is also survived by his siblings Marlene, Carmen, Eric, Del, and Nicolas.

Funeral services will be held Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in the Pleasant View 8th Ward, 2400 North 1060 East, Provo, Utah. A viewing will be held prior to the service, from 9:30-10:45 a.m. A webcast of the service will be available at www.walkersanderson.com. Interment will follow at the Provo City Cemetery.