RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT By Marianne Zak Meet Larry and Vickie Carman of Limerick Drive, a dynamic duo with a lifetime of adventur e and service behind them. They met when Vickie asked for a ride on the back of Larry’s motorcycle, and they’ve been riding together ever since! Married for 26 years, they have three children and nine grandchildren, ages 2 to 17. Originally from Ohio, they became Lake Ashton snowbirds in 2021 and full-time residents in 2025. Vickie began her career at age 16 as a Police Explorer Scout, working with law enforcement until she turned 21. She assisted with traffic stops, accidents and community events, and worked undercover in narcotics, purchasing drugs for police lab analysis to help get dealers off the streets, including those selling to children as young as 8. After earning an associate degree in law enforcement in 1978, Vickie spent 10 years in store security and 21 years as a bail bondswoman with her father’s Thomas E. Short Company. In 1986, she graduated from the police academy and became a dispatcher before moving into patrol and rising through the ranks to Sergeant, Lieutenant and Chief of Police in Miami City, Ohio. She served as chief for 15 years and retired in 2004 as the department’s only woman officer. She also taught basic police academics at Edison State Community College for 10 years. Vickie remembers a community-focused career filled with bike rodeos, helmet giveaways, infant car seat installations and traffic patrol. Fortunately, she only had to draw her gun twice. Larry joined the Army after graduating high school in 1982, training in air defense and missile systems. In 1991, he was activated during Operation Desert Storm, serving in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. During six years stationed in Germany, he suffered hearing loss from a terrorist bombing at a PX in Frankfurt that injured 34 people. He later served at 14 Fort Stewart, Georgia, and spent seven years as an Army recruiter in Dayton, Ohio, before retiring. “I really loved the Army. That was the foundation for me to get started in life. It guided me in the right direction,” he said. After the Army, Larry attended fire and paramedic school and spent 20 years with Ohio’s Clearcreek Fire District, eventually becoming Lieutenant and Fire Marshal. He also taught basic life support and advanced cardiac life support at Edison State Community College for 10 years. “I loved to serve, twenty years Army and twenty years fire service. I miss it,” he said. Their adventures continued after they sold their Ohio home in 2017 and moved into an RV at WrightPatterson Air Force Base’s campground in Dayton. For 10 years, they managed the 54-site campground, overseeing lawn care, boat rentals and organized activities. Downsizing from a 5,000square-foot house to a 500-square-foot motor home took some adjustment, Vickie recalled! After four years as snowbirds, they retired and settled full-time in Lake Ashton. Their travels have taken them to 45 states and much of the world. Most recently, they spent three months traveling to Alaska, where they were lucky enough to see both Mount Rainier and Mount McKinley without cloud cover. They even spotted more wildlife in Canada than in Alaska! Their two boxers, Oakley and Halo, are constant travel companions. At home, Larry and Vickie enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, visiting Disney as annual passholders, golfing, playing pickleball and Bingo, and relaxing in their swimming pool. From military service and public safety to firefighting and community service, Larry and Vickie have dedicated their lives to helping others. They’re another wonderful reason Lake Ashton is “Simply the Best.”
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