LCol (Retired) Lawrence Wilfred "Larry" Hyttenrauch CD

Peacefully, on Monday, August 7, 2023, Larry Hyttenrauch passed away with his family at his side, at the age of 80 and on the day of his 58th wedding anniversary. His final days were filled with his wife Sandra (Sullivan), sons Greg and Rob, their wives Alex and Lisa and grandchildren Joshua, Caitlin, Lily and Max enjoying time together at the family cottage.

He is preceded by his parents Laurids (Larry) and Daisy Hyttenrauch and his brother, Ed.

Larry was born May 12, 1943 in Windsor, Ontario and spent his entire professional life serving in the Canadian Army. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lord Strathcona’s Horse and Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers. Larry had an exciting career, not just in Canada, but also working with other militaries in the global environment. He was posted 19 different times into a variety of command, staff and educational roles. He served in the UK twice, Germany, Rome and Brussels. He received a Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and he finished his education at NATO Defence College to prepare him for his final assignment at NATO Headquarters. Larry gave the Army his all and loved his time in service until he finally retired, after 32 years, at the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

Throughout his life, family was the most important thing to Larry. He spent 58 years married to Sandra and from the excitement of military balls in the Officer’s Mess at the beginning of their relationship, to the quiet nights in the gazebo overlooking the lake later in life, they were a loving couple and an inseparable partnership.  When the family was younger, camping was the holiday of choice. When Sandra decided that this was a vacation best left to father and sons, Larry continued regular trips to teach the boys bushcraft and to grab some time together. After the family got the cottage on Dalhousie Lake, Larry took up boating and enjoyed teaching everyone to tube and waterski while he was the Captain of his famous sunset cruises.

After leaving the Army, Larry found a new passion with golf to feed his need to compete and to spend time with family and friends. He was a member of Highlands Golf Club, Dalhousie Glen Golf Club and Blue Heron Golf Club. He was always up for a game involving his boys, their wives and the grandchildren. When he couldn’t play a full game anymore, he convinced Sandra to be his chipper and putter so he could complete every hole. Importantly, his family all know how to play golf at “Larry Speed”.

Larry’s other hobby was art. He created so many great drawings of people and places using pastels. In particular, the drawing he did with himself, Sandra and Pope John Paul II, when they met him in Rome, was one of his best works.

Anyone that knew Larry realised he always had a need for one specific culinary delight. That was Tim Hortons coffee shop. Even when posted to Brussels he had the local shop in Ottawa provide him hundreds of coffee cups to take with him so he could enjoy his Tim Hortons coffee and have it taste just right. Until the very end, a trip to Tim Hortons was an essential part of his well being and a moment of happiness for him.

Even after he became ill, he fought for over a quarter of a century to spend time with his wife, children and grand-children, even enjoying his last game of golf with all of them in his 79th year. He has left them a lasting treasure box of memories in the cottage that he and Sandra helped to establish as the real family home over the last 17 years. He will be dearly missed by all.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, August 18th, 2023 at 1pm at Beechwood Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to the Canadian Cancer Society.