Obituary of William L. "Larry" Mocha

MOCHA – William Lawrence, 68, died June 1, 2015. Born June 18, 1947 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to William J. and Virginia S. (Jones) Mocha. He graduated from Nathan Hale High School in Tulsa and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University. Larry went to work in 1974 as the first employee of Air Power Systems Company (APSCO), a small manufacturing firm founded by his father; upon his father’s death in 1984 he assumed the role of CEO and served in that position until his passing. Under his direction by the time the company celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, APSCO had established a global presence, expanded its manufacturing capability through innovative product development and acquisitions, obtained ISO certification and created a significant number of job opportunities in the Tulsa community. He is survived by his wife, Sandra; daughter, Teri Mocha-Newton of Tulsa, OK; son, Scott Mocha and wife, Christine and their newborn son, Jackson Laurence of Valencia, CA; and his sister, Susanne Braddy of Tulsa, OK. For over 25 years Larry was a tireless advocate and enthusiastic supporter of small business owners in the State of Oklahoma and across the United States devoting himself to addressing small business issues and the promotion of entrepreneurship. For his dedication he received recognition from numerous State and national organizations including SBA’s 2014 Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year, Tulsa Regional Chamber’s 2014 Small Business Pioneer and Broken Arrow Chamber’s 2014 Manufacturer of the Year. He was also honored by serving on the 2004 White House Conference Panel on “Securing Our Economic Future, Tax and Regulatory Burdens” and by testifying before the U. S. House of Representatives Subcommittee of Investigations and Oversight Committee on “The Impact of Energy Policy on Small Business”. His distinguished appointments included: Chairman of the Oklahoma Governor’s 2011 Conference on Small Business, Chairman of Oklahoma’s Manufacturing Division of the Economic Development Generating Excellence (EDGE) program; Vice Chair of the OSU-Tulsa Board of Trustees; member, OSU Board of Governors; chairman of the Oklahoma State Chamber; and former member of the U.S. Chamber Board of Directors. At the time of his passing he was serving as Chairman of the Tulsa Community College Foundation, Chairman of the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Manufacturers’ Council, Chairman of the Center for Legislative Excellence, Chairman of the Board of Directors for CompSource Mutual Insurance Company, member of the Tulsa Regional Chamber Board, member of the Tulsa Signature Symphony Board, and a member of the Junior Achievement Board. Larry was a long-time member of Christ United Methodist Church and has attended Asbury Methodist Church since 2007. He supported numerous charitable efforts in the Tulsa community. He was co-founder and Chairman of OK2GROW, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving high school completion rates, promoting entrepreneurism among youth and developing Tulsa’s workforce pipeline. Committed to engaging and inspiring students, the organization provides scholarships to encourage innovative thinking, has formed a coalition to increase career awareness and has launched an effort to transform the perception of manufacturing careers. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 between 1-6 p.m. at the Ninde Funeral Home (3841 South Peoria Avenue), Tulsa. Memorial services will be held at Asbury Methodist Church, Mason Chapel at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 5, 2015. Memorial donations may be made to OK2Grow and sent to 8178 E.44th Street, Tulsa, OK 74145.