Farm broadcaster, professional rodeo announcer and raconteur Larry Parlette, better known as Hap Larson to his listeners, has died. The National Association of Farm Broadcasting expressed its sadness at Parlette’s death.
Larry served as news director for western Kansas’s KBUF 1030 AM for 20 years. Better known to listeners as Hap Larson, he hosted KBUF’s “Traveling the Circuit” and played pranks regularly with and on his friend, Phil Weaver, during morning broadcasts. Larry was recognized by multiple state and national agencies throughout his career for his contributions to agriculture and the art of radio broadcasting. Larry also covered western Kansas for ABC affiliate KAKE-TV.
A lifelong love with the West led Larry to rodeo, and in Garden City, he helped make the Beef Empire Days rodeo a PRCA-sanctioned event, acting as its announcer for many years. One of the most electric personalities on the circuit, Larry was the voice for countless other rodeos, including events at New York’s Madison Square Garden and in Las Vegas.
Prior to his work in broadcasting, Larry was a counselor at Farmington Junior High in Connecticut. After moving to Kansas in 1978, he worked at Garden City High School, where he founded the High Plains Drifters Rodeo Club and worked with students to delay growing up as long as possible.
Parlette is survived by his wife, Val; children, Justin (and his fiancée, Chloe) and Mickala (and her husband, Matthew); grandson, Sebastian; sister-in-law, Kay Parlette; and niece and nephews, Amanda, Chris, John and Lloyd.
Private services will be held at his home in Redondo Beach, California, on November 7th, 2015.