Lawrence Victor "Larry" Monninger

LAWRENCE V. MONNINGER Lawrence V. Monninger, a month short of 91 years old, passed away March 9, 2014 after breaking a hip. He is survived by his three children, Mary Ranney of Dolores, Louise Thomas of Denver, Colo. and Chuck Monninger of Bellevue, Wash. Larry held a Master's Degree in Forestry from CSU and spent his life fishing, sailing, loving his "canyon country" and reveling in the beauty of nature. He was a proud WWII vet and even asked to re-enlist after 9/11. A professional photographer for years, his business was known as, "Monninger's Moments", and his pictures captured his love of the outdoors. An adventurer to the end, his motto was to always "take the road less traveled". His business cards read, "The Wayward Wanderer", implying that he wandered his way through life but always with a purpose and great energy. He was never idle. One of Larry's lifelong beliefs was that every kid should learn how to swim. With this in mind, the Cortez Leopard Sharks have set up the Larry Monninger Memorial Scholarship Fund in his behalf. If you are interested in contributing, please visit www.cortezleopardsharks.org and click on the button for Larry. Contributions can also be mailed to Cortez Leopard Sharks, Larry Monninger Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 1043, Cortez, CO, 81321. Larry was a lifeguard as a young man, a college swim-team member, and continued his devotion to swimming for the last several years of his life. He had trouble walking, but once in the pool, he was at home. He could be seen in the farthest lane to the east every morning, just paddling his way from one end of the pool to the other. If you look hard, he's still there. There is no service planned as per his wishes. Memorial contributions can also be made to For Pet's Sake, P.O. Box 1705, Cortez, Colo. 81321.