Lawrence "Larry" L. Rater, age 78 and long-term resident of Findley Lake, N.Y., proceeded into heaven on October 10th, 2020. Born in Westfield, N.Y. on November 11th, 1941, Larry moved with his parents, Harold and Isabelle Rater, to a small farm in Sherman, N.Y., where he continued his family's generations-long farming tradition. He graduated from Sherman High School and captained the school's state championship football team.

Larry's work ethic led him to success early in his farming career, building his family farm into a Dairy of Distinction and earning the 1975 "Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year" award. He served numerous years as the Chautauqua County Farm Bureau President and was a respected member of the Chautauqua Breeders Association. Larry felt a strong pull toward civic duty and served as the Sherman Town Justice and member of the Sherman Community Church's Board of Trustees. He was also an active member of the Free Masons and served on the Seneca Trail Resource Conservation and Development Council. An admirer of different cultures, he and his wife, Sherril Rater, hosted numerous American Field Services (AFS) exchange students.

Larry was an early riser, an excellent agriculturalist, and a lover of life spent outdoors. His free time was spent cutting firewood, volunteering in community events, attending antique tractor shows, and entertaining family and guests on Findley Lake. He also enjoyed traveling, visiting each state in the contiguous U.S., and driving over one million miles as an expedite-freight truck driver and business owner.

Larry is survived by his high-school sweetheart and wife of 57 years, Sherril Rater, and his loving sons: Michael (Grisel) Rater, and their children Julia (Cory) Card, Gabriel, Sofia, and Lucas of Sherman, N.Y.; Greg (Sherri) Rater, and their children Adrienne, Nicholas, and Kennedy of Sherman, N.Y.; Brian (Julia) Rater, and their children Hannah, Isabella, and Amelia of State College, P.A.; and AFS student Andrew (Andrea) Elliot, and their children Ashley and Samantha of Dunedin, New Zealand.

At the family's request, there will be no visitation or formal service at this time. A private memorial service will be held at the family's convenience at a later date.