We Remember
TERRICK, Lawrence Julian “Larry”
January 13, 1937 — February 9, 2025
On February 9, 2025, Larry Terrick quietly slipped away. Born on January 13, 1937, Larry lived a full life, shared with the lucky people whom he loved and howm loved him.
Larry is survived by Shirley, his wife of 45 years, who once described him as the apple of her eye, even if he sometimes drove her a bit nuts. Together, they built a life filled with laughter, adventure, and long, winding conversations. He also leaves behind Brad (Shari) and Susanne (Gerry), who loved him enough to forgive his occasional dad jokes, and he will also be missed by his grandchildren: Tara, Hailey, Alex (Adam), Gabe, Raena, and Tayler (James) – who will forever remember the way he wrapped their presents with more care than some people wrap their lives.
Larry was reunited in the end with his dearly loved cats, Blackie and Turbo (Always together, we are with you always), and Clemmie, (Forever faithful… forever at peace). It’s likely they’ve already formed some kind of committee up there, with Larry in charge of snack distribution.
It was 1977, at Lansdowne Mall in Richmond, BC, when Larry first saw Shirley. Something about her made him decide that this was it, the beginning of everything. Two years later, she became his bride, and together they tackled life in a way that only a pair of optimists could. They travelled – to New Zeland , to Ottawa, to Hawaii, even to North Dakota. (Yes, North Dakota. Ask Shirley about it someday.) They boated on the ocean, they laughed at themselves, and they created a home full of warmth.
Larry worked hard all his life, hopping from one job or business to another, collecting skills like a magpie collects shiny things. His last job was at Sand Dollar Industries, Plexiglass Design. But it was woodworking that he loved most – his hands shaping wood with the kind of attention that made you think he was carving out something holy.
When illness began to weigh him down, Larry did what he could to hold on to the parts of life that mattered most. On the days he felt strong, you could see it in the way he laughed – big and free and a little bit silly, the way he always was.
Larry wasn’t a man for formal ceremonies, and he’d hate for anyone to feel they had to put on a tie for him. Instead, his family and friends are invited to remember him in their own way, maybe with a Wendy’s Frosty in hand. (“Don’t ask—just bring it!” he’d say.)
And so, we say goodbye to Larry – woodworker, gift-wrapper, ocean-boater, daydreamer, husband, father, grandpa, cat-dad, and sometime goofball. We miss him already, but we take comfort in imagining him somewhere warm, somewhere where the music sounds a bit like Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O,” where the cats are napping nearby, and where the Frosties never melt.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to BC SPCA, spca.bc.ca. and Kelowna General Hospital (KGH Foundation), www.kghfoundation.com.
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BC SPCA and Kelowna General Hospital (KGH Foundation) Link: spca.bc.ca, www.kghfoundation.com
Condolences
Uncle Larry, it had been years since we crossed eyes,as we spread the continent, but chasing a bear away from our A&W chicken in Jasper is a memory I’ll never forget.