Lawrence Feeny

Lawrence Feeny, 86, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2026, in the company of his family in Livonia, Michigan.

Larry was born on September 27, 1939 in Detroit, MI to Christine (Bell) Feeny and William Feeny, Scottish and Irish immigrants. One of seven children, his father passed away when he was four years old, leaving his mother to raise the lot on her own. 

Out of necessity, Larry became enterprising at a very young age. At eight, he worked a newspaper corner at Jefferson and Chalmers, where every Sunday, the owner of a nearby bakery would trade him a french cruller for a paper. He received his driver’s license at age 14—to transport his mother to the grocery store and get to his various odd jobs—a dime store, a bump shop, and the mailroom at American Blower in Dearborn. 

Upon graduating St. Ambrose High School, he joined the Army as a Military Police officer, stationed in Fort Gordon, GA. He later served in the National Guard and was on patrol for the dedication of the Mackinac Bridge in 1958. While in the Army Reserves, Larry met his wife Patricia at a charity event at The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, when he asked her to dance. She reluctantly obliged—and three years later they were married. 

Larry began his storied career in the steel business in 1960 when he joined Bethlehem Steel, and later Lafayette Steel. In 1973, he cofounded Delaco Steel with partner Gerry Diez, becoming the first Hispanic Minority Business Enterprise in Detroit. To support expansion, they purchased a building on Tireman Ave.—the very same one Larry worked in twenty years earlier. He took pride in saying he “went from the mailroom to the boardroom.” Over the years they went on to expand to Jeffersonville, IN, Buffalo, NY and Kansas City, MO, Delaco has remained a trusted supplier to Ford Motor Co. for nearly half a century. 

Outside of his industrious nature, he was a fiercely loyal and generous man. His humble beginnings made him a lifelong champion for the underdog, and he was always available to offer advice or a helping hand. He invested in local small businesses in various industries including tooling, restaurants, real estate and even owned a racehorse, Distinctive Gal. He was also an avid supporter of Focus: HOPE and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—making generous donations over the years. 

Larry and his wife, Pat divided their time between Michigan and Naples, Florida, which offered him the opportunity to pursue his favorite pastime, golf, year-round. A longtime member of Meadowbrook and Countryside Golf Clubs, you could find him on the fairway, either marveling at a perfectly executed drive, or silently stomping on divots.

It was there he practiced his gift of storytelling, both on the fairway, or in the lounge afterward, regaling his round partners with old stories and witty observations. 

He was also in constant pursuit of knowledge. A voracious reader, he especially loved biographies, historical fiction and novels by Michael Connelly. Every morning he combed through The Detroit Free Press in search of the daily puzzles or the sports section for updates on his favorite hometown teams—notably U of M football. 

Never one to sit still, retirement didn’t exactly take. Remarkably, Larry returned to Delaco at age 60 to take on special projects, continue expansion, and mentor new talent. He stayed until he was 82 years old. 

He is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Patricia Feeny; his three children, David (Katherine) Feeny, Steven (Julie) Feeny, and Laureen (Seth Bro) Feeny; grandchildren, Fiona, Declan & Elyse Feeny and siblings, William Feeny, Christine (Jim) Haley & Kathleen Minehart. He is preceded in death by his father, William John Feeny, mother Christine (Bell) Feeny; brothers, James Feeny, Matthew & Patrick Feeny, and his best friend and business partner of nearly 50 years, Geraldo (Gerry) Diez. 

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, July 31 at 11:00am, instate at 10:30am at Our Lady of Victory Parish, 133 Orchard Dr., Northville, MI. Family and friends are invited to a luncheon immediately following Mass in downtown Northville. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift to Focus: HOPE, helping continue the work and mission that meant so much to Larry. 

Larry jokingly quipped that he “was never given a middle name because he was too poor to afford one.” Since then, he’s afforded his family a wealth of cherished memories and will be forever missed.