Larry Hurwitz was the only child of Harry and Mary Hurwitz. His father managed movie theatres, so as a child Larry moved frequently, spending time in Saskatoon, Hamilton and Winnipeg.
Larry's intellect and frequent school changes enabled him to graduate from high school at 17. Although he expressed an interest in dentistry, there was no dental school in Manitoba and his parents felt he was too young to leave home, so he chose engineering.
Engineering proved an excellent fit. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba, he obtained his master's degree in geotechnical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Larry loved his time in Boston. Although he worked hard, he also enjoyed many steak dinners with his father's extended family who lived there and developed a lifelong passion for the Red Sox.
Larry returned to Winnipeg to a career as a soils engineer. His work on the Nelson River transmission line was instrumental in developing high-voltage transmission lines in Northern Canada. He was also a leader in geo-environmental studies long before it became fashionable. His work on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and the Alaska Highway gas pipeline paved the way for future generations.
In Winnipeg, Larry had two daughters, Paula and Hayley-Ann, with his first wife.
In 1974, Larry's work took him to St. John's, where he met Sybil. They married in 1975 and Larry became a welcome member of her large family.
While cross-country skiing, Larry demonstrated an ability to fall flat on his face on level ground. Given that his athletic prowess was best demonstrated on the golf course, he quickly settled on being the life of the après-ski parties. His extra-dry gin martinis - straight up with an olive - were famous among his friends and family from coast to coast. He enjoyed a martini with Sybil before every dinner.
Larry's work later took him to Edmonton. After retiring from engineering, he settled with Sybil in Victoria. Throughout all the moves, his daughters continued to visit. When they were young he would fill their time together with jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble, mini golf and even dog sledding.
Larry's courage and strength were demonstrated over the past 21 years as he dealt with heart attacks, bypass surgery and three different cancers. Despite these challenges he retained his optimism and his love of life. Mere months before his passing, he and Sybil travelled across the country to visit Sybil's family in St. John's and Halifax, Paula in Toronto and Hayley-Ann in Calgary. The cancer came back with a vengeance in December and he passed away at home with Sybil and his daughters by his side.
Paula Hurwitz is Larry's daughter.