LARRY ARTHUR LAKER
November 1, 1952 - April 29, 2015
Following a courageous and hard-fought
battle with cancer, Larry Arthur Laker,
aged 62, passed away peacefully in the
comfort of his own home on April 29, 2015.
Larry was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on
November 1, 1952 and spent his life in his
hometown, with a brief stay in Toronto,
Ontario. Larry's life was fueled by his
two grand passions: music and family.
Larry found music at a very young age,
playing his first gig at the age of 13. He
was considered by many to be a staple of
Winnipeg's music community, singing and
playing guitar in many local and touring
bands, including United Soul Appeal,
Thunder Bolt, and Cahoots. Two of his
career highlights were opening for The
Guess Who and playing the same festival as
Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Following his marriage to the love of his
life, Connie, on November 19, 1971 and the
birth of his sons, Larry Jr. and James,
Larry chose to spend less time on the road
and focus his career on helping fellow
musicians find the perfect instrument. He
built amplifiers at Garnet Amplifiers,
moved into a sales role at Major &
Minor, and ended his career at Long &
McQuade.
Larry loved spending time with his family
at the cabin in Winnipeg Beach, sitting in
the sun on the patio with a glass of wine
and good friends, recording his favourite
songs in his home studio, and watching a
good movie. He was comforted during his
illness by the many visits from friends
and loved ones, particularly a private
living room performance by The Bros.
Landreth, arranged by their father and
Larry's dear friend, Wally.
Larry was predeceased by his parents,
Arthur Lawrence and Laura Marie Bruce
Laker Perkin; his brother Randy; and
father-in-law Martin Geswin. Left to
cherish his memory are his beloved wife of
43 years, Connie; his sons, Larry Jr. and
James (Lisa); and his grandchildren,
Ethan, Braeden and Kyna. He will be missed
by his siblings, Ken (Irene), Rick, Debbie
(Andre), Melody (Brian), Candace (Kevin)
and Giselle, and his many nieces and
nephews; his stepfather Herb Perkin; his
mother-in-law Olga Geswin; his
sister-in-law Betty-Ann Geswin, and his
canine best friend, Amber. Larry will be
forever in the hearts of his many friends.
The family thanks CancerCare Manitoba and
Larry's palliative care team. A memorial
service will be held at Glen Eden Funeral
Home and Cemetery at 4477 Main Street,
Winnipeg, Manitoba on Thursday, May 7,
2015 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers,
donations can be made in Larry's memory to
CancerCare Manitoba or The Winnipeg Humane
Society. Glen Eden Funeral Home &
Cemetery
As
published in Winnipeg Free Press on
May 02, 2015
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