Larry Schwankl was born July 11, 1953, to Margaret and Orville Schwankl in Mankato, MN, and died May 2, 2022, Visalia, CA, from complications due to cancer. He graduated from Mankato High School and attended Mankato State for two years before transferring to Iowa State University for a degree in civil engineering. After earning his Masters from the University of California-Davis he worked for FEMA in Philadelphia on flood control issues. He returned to UC Davis and obtained his Ph.D. after which he was hired as a University of California Cooperative Specialist affiliated with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources Department. During his career he worked with growers and industry on sprinkler, drip, and flood irrigation management. In 2004 he married Carol Frate of Visalia, CA, and transferred to the University's Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center near Parlier, CA. He remained with UC Cooperative Extension until he retired in 2014.
Larry was a thoughtful, kind, and generous man who enjoyed fishing (particularly for walleye in Minnesota lakes), hiking, birding, gardening, and turning wooden bowls. He loved animals, especially his cats. He attended St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Larry's parents preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Carol Frate of Visalia, CA; sister Gail (Dale) Erickson of Mankato, MN, sister-in-law Vicki Salzberg, nieces Sarah (Chris) Tracy and Emily Salzberg, grandnieces Anna and Simone, and grandnephews Owen and River of Olympia, WA.
A rosary followed by a Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 pm on July 18, 2022, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1908 N. Court St, Visalia, CA. Interment will be at a later date in Olympia, WA. Donations may be made to Pacific Wildlife Care, 1387 Main St., Morro Bay, CA 93442 or to a charity of choice.
From Ben: He taught me that you can not irrigate knowledgeably without a flow meter, and you might as well just gamble away your orchard unless you do a distribution uniformity test on the irrigation system. These are critical tools, creating good water management and healthy orchards.
