BROWN DEER — Larry Ehlers, the man who founded Larry's Market in Brown Deer, has died.
The specialty food store confirmed the news in a Facebook post.
"Larry Ehlers was a very special human," workers wrote in a Facebook post. "He loved life, great food, making people laugh at his jokes and he warmed the hearts of many."
According to the store's website, Larry's Market "started experimenting with new foods and trends in the early 1960s." Ehlers was an employee of Brown Deer Market "in a time when fresh-cut flowers, frozen foods and perishables were not exactly staples in your local grocery store. These experiments led Larry's down the path to making their mark as Milwaukee's first specialty & fine food store."
Dale Curley, Larry's executive chef of over 17 years, and his wife, Debbie, purchased the business from the Ehlers Family in 2017. Ehlers retired more than 30 years ago, but continued to be a presence at the specialty food store.
