JOHN LAWRENCE (LARRY) WHITNEY, DFC -

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JOHN LAWRENCE (LARRY) WHITNEY, DFC 1915 - 2007 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Larry Whitney on December 12, 2007, peacefully, at E. M. Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale. He was 92 years of age. Larry was predeceased by his wife, Margaret, his brothers, Wes, Jim, Roy, and sister Florence. He is lovingly remembered by his children, Larry (Shirley), Cheryl, Wayne (Carol) and Debbie, his grandchildren, Jeff (Elizabeth), Cheryl (Rick), Christopher, Kyle (Kim) and Matthew, and his great-grandchildren, Emma, Julia, Luke, Eva and Preston. With the exception of his years in the Air Force, Larry lived his life in Eriksdale. He grew up during the depression and always valued the results of hard work. At the beginning of the Second World War, he joined the RCAF and returned an officer and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Now married, and with a young son, he was given the opportunity to purchase a business in his home community. This began 28 years as a storekeeper. He and Margaret retired from the business in 1974 and, while they did enjoy the lake and traveled to see their children and grandchildren now spread out from Ontario to British Columbia, Larry never did stop working. Over the next 30 years, he trained other storekeepers for the Department of Indian Affairs, he completed income tax returns and he always kept at least one garden full of potatoes. Larry was a life-long community volunteer. He believed in supporting the institutions and businesses that made a community stronger. Among these were the hospital, the recreation centre, the school, the Credit Union and the New Horizons Club. The family wishes to thank the staff of the Lundar and Eriksdale PCH for their special understanding of the challenges Larry faced in the last year of his life. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 15 at the Eriksdale Recreation Centre with Melanie Kauppila officiating. The interment will follow in the Eriksdale Municipal Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Al Forsyth Foundation (in care of Sandy Heroux, P.O. Box 217, Eriksdale, MB, R0C 0W0) or to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Arnason Funeral Home Ltd. Ashern Lundar 1-204-768-2072

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 14, 2007