Obituary of Larry Thomas Gortner

Larry�.First off, he was a Chicago boy through and through. He loved growing up there, loved his high school Highland Park, Wrigley Field, Marshall Fields, the Bears, the Cubs, the Blackhawks - all of it!He was an athlete. He was a standout in the North Shore league, holds the shot put record, was recruited by many colleges, and was a Football starter as a freshman at Yankton College, SD. He played alongside Lyle Alzado at Yankton and enjoyed telling tales about that experience. He was an outdoorsman. He loved to fish, cut firewood, hike, camp, and campfires. Larry loved people - all people. He was raised by his Pops and Naan; he loved and respected them immensely. He loved his kids: Alyssa, Jen, Matt, and Jarod. He loved his grandkids: Gentry, Cole, Keaton, Grayson, Kenzie, and Hayden. He loved his wife and friend, Terri. He loved the girls and flirted with all of them. He loved his colleagues at HP, his Special Education bus kids, and all of our neighbors. Larry especially loved dogs. He knew every dog in the neighborhood and had boxes of milk bones for them. He had many beloved dogs in his life. His sweet Duke will be well cared for and loved. Larry was a friend to all and a close friend to many. He was kind and very humble. Larry fought a long cancer battle valiantly and now is whole, healthy, and happy in Paradise. He will be missed� I can't wait to see him in eternity. I love you,~TerriWhen asked to write a paragraph about my Dad, I panicked. I was at a loss for words. Too many wonderful memories and stories to share, so I will just say this - Dad was a kind and gentle soul. Always willing to lend a hand. He was a great athlete, friend, and story teller. He was strong both mentally and physically. He loved his family, dogs, cars, motorcycles, the Cubs, and snakes (just kidding !). He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. I love you, Dad XXXOOO~ Alyssa Remembering Dad,It takes a strong, loving, dedicated, Christ loving man to bring a family together. Dad was one of those men. He loved us, so many friends and neighbors, without reservation and with his whole heart. Dad lived every day with integrity, compassion, joy, intention, courage, and great love; he called on all of us to do the same. We can't wait to see him in Eternity. I love you,~JenGrowing up I have fond memories of camping, hunting, fishing, and just escaping to the mountains for a relaxing weekend. My dad loved the outdoors, where he taught us to fish, hunt, and to enjoy what life had to offer. He taught us that you didn't have to spend money to have fun and create memories. He loved life and everything it had to offer, where he and mom would constantly engage themselves in some adventure. He loved sports, where his claim to fame was playing college football in Yankton, SD with the late NFL legend Lyle Alzado. So naturally he created a kingdom of athletes. Everything was a competition for my dad, so obviously he would raise a home full of competitors. Coming from Chicago, he made the entire family Chicago Cubs fans, where we made many visits to Wrigley or Coors field to watch America's past time. One of the greatest things I did was ask dad to join my Fantasy Football league 10 years ago. He absolutely loved it, and his annoying, frequent texts about football is something I will miss terribly. He loved the fantasy crew, and they all thought the world of him. Dad was the 2020 1st Place champ by the way! Dad was a Gentle Giant who led by example and taught others how being a good person had so many benefits and rewards. He was a simple man who made choices that quenched that huge heart of his. He was a staple in his community, where you would find him shoveling snow for others, cutting their grass, cutting down trees, and any odd job that would take the load off someone else. He absolutely loved helping others, and it showed!Love you,~ Matt My Dad was my biggest supporter in my life. He taught me the love for the outdoors, from hunting, camping, and fishing. He was one to never miss a game and was always there to coach me through sports. He would push me to be my best, and to never give up and to always keep fighting, but most importantly he taught me to be good and caring. I will miss just how good and caring he was to so many people. He would drop what he was doing to help anyone from shoveling snow to cutting trees, aerating, edging - even if you didn't ask, lol. He was the best Role model and Dad any son could ever ask for. I know you'll be watching over all of us. I miss you and love you Dad. ~Your son, Jarod