Obituary of Larry Stephen Smook

Larry Stephen Smook, of Vita, Manitoba, passed away on Thursday, December 21, 2023, at the De Salaberry District Health Centre in St-Pierre-Jolys, MB, after a sudden decline in health and lengthy hospitalization. He was only 72. He was born August 29, 1951, in Vita, MB.

He is predeceased by his father, Steve Smook, and his precious daughter Tammy (2010).

He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Elsie, his son Jeff, his mother Mildred, his brothers Dennis (Gwen), Brian (Jennifer), Wayne (Paulette), and his sister Wendy (Michael), and their families, as well as numerous other relatives.

Larry met his wife in high school in Vita, and they began a family there, where he lived and worked his entire life. His business career began at a young age, aggressively selling newspapers as a boy, moving up to selling cars, driving the fuel truck, and farming with his father. In 1975, he broke ground on a new GM dealership, and followed his passion for selling cars. He pursued his career diligently, and was a prolific dealmaker, logging literally millions of miles on the road and in the air, later working independently and as broker and in management for Car Canada in Winnipeg. While he was a businessman at heart, he still maintained a significant farming operation, cattle and hay were a big part of his life.   

As a young man and father, he took more interest in his community, and was instrumental in the building of the Vita Arena, the first Canada Day celebrations in Vita, belonged to the local Lions Club, was a volunteer ambulance driver and firefighter, and coached hockey and baseball. He rediscovered ice hockey in his late 30’s, and enjoyed playing in the local “liniment league” recreationally. 

Larry was one of a kind. There were few adventures that were ever out of the question, and he truly lived life on his own terms. From stories of being in hot pursuit of bank robbers, driving his 4x4 with constable Brisbin riding shotgun North of town, to the streets of Paris, to the deserts of Baja California in Mexico, he saw a lot of the world, and touched a lot of people. There aren’t enough words to summarize the man, other than he was loved immensely and will be missed very dearly.

Thank you to the staff at De Salaberry District Health Centre, especially the palliative care nurses for their wonderful work and compassion they showed.

As per Larry’s wishes, there is no funeral, and cremation has taken place.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local food bank or charity of choice, or just perform a random act of kindness for someone with Larry in your heart.