I was sad to learn of Larry's passing. A very knowledgeable and competent pilot, he was one of our good ones.

My condolences to the family. Mr. Loretto was a nice customer of mine in Loblaw pharmacy in Hawkesbury

Well,so that's it then! You go out into the garden and and get called into the Chief Pilot's office [and I mean Chief].

What a well spent life in aviation!

I first met Lary outside of YUL dispatch in 1976 after I'd printed an incredibly stupid career ending piece of literary prose[ note: never ever criticize your CEO]

He approached me,I thought menacingly,and said " Are you Todd Landry?" "Yes" I answered closing my eyes and awaiting the deserved verbal whipping I was about to receive. " I want to shake your hand! What you did was very courageous; stupid, but courageous".

I didn't loose my job because because Lary and other people also stood by me, and he wasn't afraid to to stand by his convictions.

We'd since flown together many times and all that's been said is all true, his attributes and foibles but a more genuine fellow you wouldn't find.

Pleasure to have known and flown with Lary. God speed.

For Donna and Family please accept Karen and my condolences at this sorrowful time. Although we focus on some good memories, we know you're dealing with a heavy loss.

Very sorry to hear that Lary passed.

My sympathies and condolences go out to Donna and the family during this difficult time.

I am very fortunate to have met such an amazing person.

Great memories of OAS and listening while Lary held court spinning yarns of flying in days gone by!

Blue Skies and Tailwinds Lary...

Dear Donna and family,

I had the good fortune of meeting you, Donna, albeit under very unfortunate circumstance.

We met at my mother’s funeral last week. You explained that my mother was your neighbour and that her property backs onto your own. I am sorry that we met under the circumstances we did; we both sustained the loss of a loved one at almost the same place and at the same time.

A very sad coincidence.

I couldn't help but note that your husband and my mother were born less than an hour from one another. Redhill, Surrey and Taplow, Buckinghamshire. I like to think they don't make them like that any more.

Your stories of your husband lifted me that sad day. I enjoyed hearing the wonderful stories about his career and the adventures you have had together. I immediately suspected he had a plane stashed away on that farm and I wasn't wrong! He sounds like he was a wonderful, wonderful man who followed his passion.

Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself and for your gift of story and humour despite both of us being in a place of grief and sadness. It was a pleasure to meet you.

I am sorry for your loss and I extend my condolences to yourself and your family. Julia

My deepest condolences during this time of grief, you are in my heart and thoughts during this difficult time for you and your family.

All our love Jill & Sean

Can it be said, ``that there are only a few people in a person`s life that `truly` have a BIG impact?`` If that is true, Lary would be at the very top of my list!

My story with Lary goes back many years to the winter/spring of 1986 when Lary called me up one day and said `Wyman! I`ve got something that you must take a look at - and there is little time to think about what I have to say. I`ve found you an airplane that`ll be great for building time. It`s in Alexandria and in a bad state...but I think your father and you can put it back together and get it flying! It`ll be the cheapest way to keep flying and you`ll build quality flying time. Meet me at such and such an address, in Alexandria on Saturday morning, 8:00am (sharp!), and I`ll introduce you to Bud (a former Spitfire pilot) from the war, who`s lookin` to sell his MiniCab. It`d be perfect for you. Don`t bother with the details...it`s 2500$ where it sits...only catch is that you have to crate her away. See you there!` Click!, went the phone, and that was that. There was nothing in it for him. He knew that it`d be my ticket to keep flying. I`d soon meet him out there the next morning and was off on my flying career, hauling away a plane in parts - because of him. Guess what?...I am still hauling airplanes. ;)

We`d met a few months prior to this in my quest to get a float rating, I was 17-18 years young. I was already checked out on taildraggers, from another Air Canada pilot, and was looking to keep flying off of grass strips like Windover`s field, where I think I had `dropped in`(with the plane that Dad got flying!) to check out what was going on there. From there on, Lary infected me with his enthuasiam about flying - me realizing, that I wasn`t the only one out there who was just as crazy about little, hand propped Aeronca`s! We`d struck it off together and before you know it, I was hanging around Windover airport along with a dozen or so other young (and older) people - most of whom, have or went on with careers in aviation. That list...is a long one, of which, I am sure, all would agree, they wouldn`t be where they are today, without his encouragement and involvement, that it was up to us IF we continued or drifted by the wayside. His motto at the time (if I can remember it correctly), was to never stop flying, as those that did, eventually, would lose the drive to make something of it. I literally took that very sound advice and did everything in my power to keep flying and rack up the hours. I have since passed along this wisdom to many of my own `students` whom I later checked out on taildraggers (a Champ in fact), offering the same sound advice. ``Get your own ship and keep at er`!``

Aside from giving me my first break finding that aircraft, Lary also went the extra mile referring me to several jobs, one of which I severely muffed - to which, Lary, never held against me for messing up. Perhaps, it was for this alone, that I was able to keep at it, eventually, making my way to the Airlines? It was like I mentioned to most people about him: if you had the guts to take the message he was trying to pass along (be that good or bad comments about how you handled one thing or another) - then, you`d take that personal beating and then get on with it! You could be rest assured, the next day, the previous day`s screw ups were forgotten - or, at least, put far enough on the back burner, that you weren`t blatantly made aware of them. I, personally think, this is a good trait that many people failed to recognize about Lary. I really liked him for his honesty and straight-forwardness.

We stayed in touch, on or off, for many years. I saw...from afar, that he was living everyday to the fullest, always with a project on the go (OAS, Smith Falls Hangar, 421 flying, Hornet Moth), striving to achieve it, whatever it was. It was his relentless pursuit of his goals that inspired me to never stop achieving my own dreams. That, to me, is what I remember most about him. He had a `master` flight plan. A road map of sorts. I liked that.

We recently touched base again - and - fortunately, I got to have lunch with him again out at the local airport. It was just like ol` times, and I am truly saddened that we`ve lost a great friend and proponent of everything that is "aviation".

You are sorely missed Lary - you`ve left a big mark!,

Blue skies...you`re friend,

John Wyman

One of John Le Carré's characters says: Without anger we are nothing.

Larry was not nothing. He had no patience for the self-serving, for the unjust. He did not suffer fools gladly.

But underneath this crustiness was a kind and generous man, who would go to any lengths to help – well, anyone. Larry did not give up on people. He understood us as flawed human beings, and always gave us more rope than we deserved. If he would occasionally call us to account, it was only because he loved us.

There was not an ounce of condescension in him. This seriousness, this genuineness, did not come free. He did not defend himself. The needless injustices of everyday life hurt him deeply. So did the tragedies. One of Larry's jobs in the military was to be first on the scene of an accident and take charge of the human remains. Perhaps that gave him the composure to look at and actually see injustice.

In morning phone calls – Chris, you awake? – he would ask if I had heard. Always it was the latest screwup in aviation. Often it was also a new idiocy in power and politics. Always, it was a story about someone he knew. It was probably a story about someone he had helped, although he never said so.

I met Larry in 1976, when I was First Officer on the B-727 and he was Captain. I have heard many stories over the last forty-two years and they have shaped my understanding – both of aviation and of humanity. Selfishly, I want more. I will miss him.

("as remembered from the original LarySpeak© ")

"Smith, get down here as fast as you can. And bring your airplane. I need a seaplane rating and you are it".

I asked the obvious...

"Lary, you have been flying since Pontius was a Pilate. No water rating? Really'?

"Had one years ago when I owned a SeaBee. My good friends at the airport in Dorval have no record of a Seaplane endorsement for me.

Only solution is to do it over again".

And so it was on a summer afternoon like today that we found ourselves making (small) waves in the Ottawa river.

Did I mention we had no doors on the plane. Too hot.

Flying back to the dock, Lary produced a large paper bag.

"Candy drop at the summer camp. It's just ahead."

And so we did.

Lary, have a great ride West!

(and don't forget the candies!".

I finally met Lary on July 23, 2016 while training for my PPL with Chris Brown. Indeed, my partner, John Wyman had called Lary months prior inquiring if he knew of any good instructor who could take me from ab initio to licensed (at my mature age of 44!) and he kindly referred us to Chris. I uploaded a photo of that day!

On that sunny summer day, we landed in Smiths Falls and visited Lary who was working on his Hornet Moth.

I was so happy to finally meet this great man who knew so much and was so eager to share his knowledge. I also rapidly discovered his direct way of saying what he thought when Chris (who was now upside down in the cockpit of the Moth trying to clip a locking wire under the rudder pedals) got yelled at for not keeping his feet perfectly on the blanket protecting the lower wing! I couldn't help but laugh at the whole thing.

Lary was the first person to call me to congratulate me on my first solo flight. He was genuinely happy for me and gave me tremendous encouragement.

He is a great man. His enthusiasm and engaging soul will live on inside our hearts.

Thank you, Lary. To Donna and the rest of the family, may you have the strength to continue without him and may you cherish all the great moments you got to experience being so close to him.

Dear Donna,

Ron and I were saddened to hear the news about Lary's passing.

Although it is difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort you and your family tomorrow.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Kathy and Ron

So sorry to hear of Lary's sudden passing. My deepest sympathy to all the family.

His wings have borne him to "Escape the surly bounds of earth . . . . "

I met Lary at Lachute Aviation while I was working on my PPL. Retired from airline piloting, he was flying charter and his C421 Golden Eagle was hangared across the runway. I was always glad to see him around the flight school because he spiced things up and I knew I’d hear some good stories from the old days. He was a scrapper with a big heart and a wicked sense of humor. He told me many times that when I’d completed my PPL and night rating, he’d take me on in the Golden Eagle, but I figured it was hot air. Who would take a 40-year-old PPL under his wing when there were crops of young men with Multi-IFRs to pick from? Well Lary was a man of his word and I wasn’t the first woman pilot he took under his wing. Lary shared his time, his cockpit and his 30,000+ flight hours of experience to help women, in his own words, “break through the glass ceiling in piloting.” He gave us paid work, training, flight hours, real-world experience, and support as we worked towards higher ratings. He never got public accolades and he never asked for anything in return.

I flew right seat with Lary in the Golden Eagle for six months. He taught me everything from hangar to cockpit, ground to altitude. Training with Lary was hard but exhilarating. There were some gritty bits, including a dicey missed approach, and an attempt to penetrate a squall line before finally diverting. You can’t get that kind of white-knuckle experience in flight school and that was one of Lary’s best gifts to me.

I got to know him during long layovers, in diners and FBOs. I learned about his big family he was so proud of. He was always working on something too, at home on his farm, or on his own aircraft—toil seemed a natural pleasure to him. In his free time he’d take me around to see his beloved Hornet Moth or meet old aviation legends like the late George Neal. Lary was a mentor, forty years my senior and a hundred times the experience, but he treated me like a friend.

I will miss him. But every flight with the legendary Lary Loretto was a vivid adventure that I carry in my heart. And in this life, that is one of the greatest gifts a girl with new wings could ask for.

I first met Lary over 25 years ago when he did my check ride in the Beech 19 that was an old aircraft , amidst a new flight school with new equipment. We became close and formed a trusting relationship .

There was a time where Lary came through for me in a most gracious , humorous and warm way. I had an 8 yr. old girl and her mom ready to fly in the Beechcraft . Lary introduced himself to the little girl and pointed out that his ramp pass had him as 150 yrs old. The girl was astounded. We went flying and the girl did turns , took up headings and was proud of herself. She asked afterwards if Lary was 150 yrs old . I told her "no" but he is bald . I lost my hair shortly after. Donna and Teri after that flight made this girls day with recognition . The little girl is now 24 yrs old and works in the best aviation job in Ottawa . The moment of meeting Lary , Donna and Teri , was magic!

I once had a Dash-8 100 , transitioning through Ottawa on route to Kenya. The bureaucratic brew ha ha of where to park the aircraft was more than I could arrange. Lary had the pilots taxi in and park on his apron in front of Ottawa Aviation Services. Lary had little patience for bureaucrat nonsense. What a wonderful time . We will miss this man , that got things done . Andreas

Dear Donna:

Allan and I were saddened to hear of Larry’s sudden death. Such an unexpected death has added emotional impact on the family. You and your girls are in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless.

Allan and Jana Chenier

Our hearts are heavy with sadness after the hearing about the passing of Lary. We shall always remember him for his great stories and his smile. You are all in our prayers and thoughts at this difficult time. Deepest sympathy from our family to yours... Timothy, Ward, Maureen and the boys.

Donna,

Fred and I would like to express our deepest sympathies to you, Lise, Rick, Teri, Ivo, Nina, and all the grandchildren. We are so sorry to hear of Lary's passing. May loving memories you shared bring you comfort and peace during this difficult time.You are in our thoughts and prayers. Lots of love and hugs.

Linda and Fred

On behalf of the Smiths Falls Flying Club, please accept our sincere condolences on the recent passing of Lary. May the support of family and friends sustain you during this difficult time. Lary will certainly be missed by the members of the Smiths Falls Flying Club..

To Lary,

I walked into your flight school Back in August of 1995. A 19 year old confused kid who knew he wanted to fly but didn't know where to start. You said to me "Kid are you committed to do this?" I said I sure am. To which you replied "Good you start on Monday and don't be late. Meet Donna my wife.".

From that day on I knew I was in good hands. And now you are in good hands. Although we never flew together Lary you were always there at the school. Always pushing us to be better and keeping us on our toes! We learned pretty quick what was good and bad to do at Ottawa Aviation Services. You were the first person when I had my engine failure and landed safely back in Ottawa to come and meet me. When I was scared you told me to go right back up (albeit) in a different tail! But without that encouragement I may have quit flying. You always found time to talk to me even when I struggled through my airline licenses. You told it how it was. I respected you and appreciated you for that all those years at your school and those years watching you run a business. You are and always will be an amazing Husband and Father and Grandfather to your amazing family. Your family was blessed to have you and we also who had a small touch of your life are grateful for that. You were a pivotal mentor in my life. Onward now to the heaven's Lary. You will be missed.

To Donna and family,

My deepest and saddest condolences go out to you guys. I know Lary fought the good fight till the end. Please know that we are all sorry for your loss from Marcy and Me and my father Richard who also knew Lary. May you all have peace in knowing he left a great legacy behind for others to only hope to achieve.

Blessings and Prayers to the Loretto clan.

The Youngs.

Larry will be missed by his many friends at the Smiths Falls Flying Club.

Such an experienced and dedicated aviator.

Donna, we are so sorry for your loss.

Bernie and friends.

I'm so sorry to hear of Lary's passing.

I'm saddened to hear he's gone, but so very happy to have known him and to have enjoyed his character and sense of humour. He, without question, made me a better person and pilot.

I always got the biggest bang out of how he didn’t suffer fools lightly. If he liked you, you were in, if he didn’t, or you did something dumb, he wasted no time in pointing it out in his delightfully direct and droll manner.

I was fortunate to have spent flight time with him.

He was a great coach and mentor and even gave me my only try at formation flying, in a flight of two Kanata’s on a ferrying trip from the factory in London.

Somewhere just north of Toronto, with special clearance, he made it look easy and I played the role of the inebriated court jester on a roller coaster.

I also recall having to demonstrate a spin to him in the same airplane at one point. I'll never forget the sound of "....Jesus, Morton... that's at least two G's..!!!" as I a little overzealously rolled us inverted and pulled through. It still makes me smile.

Great memories that will live on in me.

I'm sorry for your loss, and the world's loss, but as I mentioned, I feel privileged to have enjoyed him while he was here.

Fondest regards,

Bruce

Flew with LARRY so many years: most memorable times for me. It was a very colourful experience flying with Larry: we love to talk politics, airplanes and life.

He will be missed, but the memories are all good.

I have know Larry for many years and I was always impressed with his Aviation knowledge. RIP Larry DJ

My sincerest condolences to all family.

Dear Donna and family,

We were very saddened to hear of Lary's passing. He was an inspiration to so many in the aviation community and he was a great mentor to us.

Please accept our sincere condolences.

Hélène Condie & Lloyd Bunbury

Teri, Donna and family, I am saddened to hear of Lary's passing. I have known Lary for many years now and each time we talked I learned something new from him. My thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time.

Floyd Graham

Dear Donna and family. I am so sorry for your loss. i always enjoyed having a chat with Lary. We had not worked as 'crew' but we shared the passion for our career and the people we worked with, best regards Richard

Donna, Lise, Teri, Nina and family,

Very sorry to hear that Lary has passed, he will be missed at our family gatherings. Our deepest condolences and know that we are thinking of all of you during this most difficult time. Christina, Frederic, James & Allison

So many good memories, stories and friendships began at the start of my career when I was hired by Lary - a true advocate of young Canadian aviators. My time at OAS felt more like being part of an aviation family (sometimes dysfunctional...!) than just a first job. My thoughts are with you and your family.

My sincere condolences to Donna and family. Wishing you strength during this time.

So sorry to hear that Lary has passed away, and Vita and I send out condolances to you Donna and your family.

We shal always remember how helpful you were, when we moved in to our spanish style house on Cassburn road in 1980, and Lary was indeed a great college with Air Canada

Sincerely, vita and Kris Ottosen

Dear Teri,

Our condolences to you and your family. Larry and I joined Air Canada on the same course and I always enjoyed meeting him in the halls and on layovers because of his unbridled enthusiasm for flying. He was one of the good guys.

Donna, I am so terribly sorry for your loss. I will never be able to repay the kindness that Lary showed after Harry passed, coming out in even the worse weather to clean the driveway.

If I can do anything, please let me know.

With deepest synpathy to you and your family

My sincere condolences to you Donna , and the girls , for the loss of Lary. I always enjoyed working with him in the airline and welcomed the time we spent together when meeting him at fly-ins after our retirement. I hope that the good memories you have will somehow soften your loss.

To the Loretto family,

I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathy to you for your loss. While I did not know Lary personally, I expect that we met during the years I was teaching his children at Pleasant Corners, and I know that I flew at least one flight which he piloted. To this day, I carry with me, everywhere, a souvenir Maori tiki, brought back to me by Lise from a family trip to New Zealand. Sometimes the smallest things can be reminders of a life well-lived. May he rest in peace.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth (MacTavish) Armstrong

My sincere condolences to the Loretto family in the loss of a dear husband, father and grandfather.

Dear Donna. Larry told me he had received bad news from his doctor but I didn't know things were going to move so fast. Heartfelt condoleances mam.

My dearest Teri and your family,

Whenever I see small planes over head I always wave to them. My parents taught me this as they both live through the WWWII in England. When the pilots buzzed the villages and cities after returning home everyone would gather and wave madly at them. I love small aircraft. I wish that I known your Dad. But the tribute tells me I do. When I look to the sky I will remember him. Sending my heartfelt condolences and love and peace as you deal with your sorrow and grief at the profound loss of your obviously precious Dad. Peace and love, Denise

My heartfelt condolences to the family on the loss of this sweet & compassionate man who gave so much.

To Donna and family: I believe with all my heart that your father shaped me into the man I am now, kicking those horrible habits of mine out of me (like the annoying 18yr old "I'm god's gift to aviation" haha). While I never joined the RCAF like he was telling me to, I did follow his advice about joining the service, and he is one of two reasons why I joined the Canadian Army (the other being my grandfather). His dedication to OAS and the students is why I stayed so long despite a difficult transition for me after he left the school. My passion for aviation and determination to fulfill my dreams is no doubt thanks to his positive input during my training and formative years as I struggled to learn who I was (as well as Teri and Donna, of course!). Every decision I make regarding my career comes down to Lary and the chats he and I had about flying, right down to the plane I want to fly with AC: the 767. He is a frequent character in my conversations about my flight training and the invaluable lessons I learned from him and I will not stop passing down his teachings, nor will I stop reflecting on his impact in my life. While we haven't had much contact since we all left OAS, please know that Lary, Teri and Donna have been in my thoughts frequently, and will remain in my thoughts. I'm so sorry.

Within days of my immigration to Canada in in the dead of winter 1991, Lary had welcomed me into the grass roots aviation community. He had just met me, yet he gave me 15 mins in his ski-equiped Aeronca Champ (CF-DBK), then got out of the back seat and said "Go fly, and have fun!" The big grin stayed on my face for the whole day!

I had very few tailwheel hours and had never flown skis. That takes a big heart and a lot of belief in people!

My heart goes out to Donna, Lise, Teri and Nina.

My deepest condolences to Donna and family on their loss of a fine Husband, Father and Granddad, He will be remembered by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Lary touched so many aspects of aviation. Passionate comes close but does not describe him fully. He had a tremendous influence on my career because he brought an employment opportunity at the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association to my attention and, as a Director of COPA, likely advocated the Board on my behalf. I will always be grateful for that connection.

Lary's knowledge of aviation, in particular the importance and challenges of running a flight training business, was invaluable as COPA worked to defend and promote General Aviation. During our frequent conversations, it never ceased to amaze me how often he would come up with a gem of wisdom and sage advice that I then took forward.

It is difficult with someone like Lary to determine the full extent of his influence on Canadian Aviation but suffice it to say that there are likely thousands like me who owe Lary a vote of thanks for his contributions.

My condolences to Lary's family on their loss.