William "Larry" Lawrence Yonce Jr.

January 26, 1941 - October 17, 2021

William Lawrence Yonce, Jr. (Larry), 80, passed peacefully to Heaven, Sunday, October 17, 2021. Born in Saluda, he was a son of the late William Lawrence Yonce, Sr. and Dorothy Elizabeth Cromley. His mother passed away when he was six years old and so he and his younger brother lived with, and were raised by, his maternal grandparents, Mac Cromley and Annie Cromley of Saluda. He married Shirley Gasque of Marion, SC in 1963. They were married for 58 years. A graduate of Saluda High School Class of 1958, he also attended Newberry College and graduated from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1962 with a degree in Business. While at Carolina, he worked in the radio room at the SC Highway Patrol. He first worked at South Carolina National Bank in Columbia, SC where he was the youngest officer in SC at the time. In 1964, he moved back to Saluda and began working at his family's Ford dealership. He continued to work at Cromley's Inc. selling cars and trucks for the next 56 years up until his health declined. He became part owner of the dealership. Mr. Yonce was a member of the Saluda Lions Club, Saluda Investment Club, and Saluda Boy Scout Troop 31, where he earned many awards. He served in the Army Reserves and was also a member of Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church of Saluda, where he actively served on church council for many years, as well as enjoyed participating in, and cooking for, the Men's Breakfast group there. He was a voracious reader who became a walking Encyclopedia to his friends and family. Larry enjoyed time with his family. Surviving are his wife, Shirley, two sons, William Lawrence Yonce, III (Lauren and Cecelia Sawyer Yonce) and Van Brian Yonce, and three grandchildren, Anna Elizabeth Yonce Conley (Mason), Julia Genevieve Yonce Ruff (Cole) and William Travis Yonce, all of Saluda. He recently saw both granddaughters get married and for that, we are thankful. He and William shared the same humor and love of history and were big buddies. He loved his grandchildren. Larry was preceded in death by his Cromley grandparents, his paternal grandparents, Senator and Mrs. William Preston Yonce of Edgefield, his parents, and a brother, Donnie. A graveside service will be held at 5 PM, Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at Travis Park Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church, 101 North Calhoun Street, Saluda, SC 29138, or to Boy Scout Troop 31, c/o T. Richard Bailey, 1045 Holley Ferry Road, Leesville, SC 29070. The family would like to give their thanks to the Saluda Ambulance Service for their help over the past few months.