Larry Joseph Hager

Larry Joseph Hager, 79, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2025, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Travelers Rest, SC.

Larry was born in Indianapolis, IN, on August 8, 1946, to Edith (Hadley) and Charlie Hager, the youngest of five children. He attended Sacred Heart Central High School and Marion College in Indianapolis, and worked for several music retailers as an accountant throughout his career. One of those companies was Wurlitzer, headquartered in DeKalb, Illinois, where his four children were raised. Larry also spent several years living in Colorado Springs, CO; Dunedin, FL; Asheville, NC; and Calabash, SC, before building his home with his beloved wife Claudia in Travelers Rest in 2017.

Larry had a passion for singing and playing guitar, gifts he inherited from his father. Friends and family in Indianapolis fondly remember weekends at “Hagers Bar” in Edith and Charlie’s house, having a front-row seat to jam sessions with Larry, Charlie and many special guests. His children have special memories of their own jam sessions with their dad, singing duets and playing the spoons. Larry’s love of music, keen sense of humor and endless generosity ensured that he made fast but enduring friendships wherever he went, with regular stints performing at some of his favorite hangouts over the years.

Larry cherished his family and always wanted to make sure his kids were happy. He took great pride in his kids and enjoyed introducing them to the friends he and Claudia made in the various places they called home. During his six-and-a-half-year fight against cancer, Larry was blessed to be able to attend family weddings, spend time with his grandchildren and meet his great-grandchildren.

Larry is survived by his wife of 42 years, Claudia (Reitz) Hager; two siblings, David (Molly) Hager and Bob (Petra) Hager; four children, Michelle (Adam) Aspbury, Matt (Christin) Hager, Jennifer (Michael) Ottomanelli and Ellen (Rocky) Posledni; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and many dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Virginia, and her husband Bob Ashman; and his brother, Glenn, and his wife Joan Hager.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Per Larry’s wishes, no services will be held. The family asks that wherever you are, you raise a toast to Larry, who is surely singing with his dad at Heaven’s Bar, where the beer is always cold, the guitar is always in tune, and the strings never break.