Engineer Larry Blake never truly retired but embraced his silly side for his granddaughter

Globe and Mail

17-06-2025

Lawrence Charles Michael Blake: Father. Grandfather. Husband. Engineer. Born July 2, 1961, in Montreal; died Jan. 17, 2025, in Toronto, from metastatic melanoma; aged 63.
Larry Blake was always a nerd. Born to Alma and Lawrence Blake, he was the first of two children to grace what was at the time an 'old' couple in their early 30s. He was a lover of Star Trek, collected and painted figurines in his young adulthood and subscribed to Soldier of Fortune magazine (for whatever reason).
Growing up, Larry was a picky-eater; bananas could never be mixed with peanut butter, as a childhood friend proved incapable of chewing with his mouth closed during play-dates. Larry grew up in Montreal, learning French but being self-conscious of his Anglo-lilt – a gift of his Scottish father. This dual identity, Québécois but also terribly Scottish, informed future epithets spoken when frustrated throughout his life: 'Christ on a crutch,' 'that man is a rat-fink' and the prodigious use of 'bloody' were commonly heard during the assembly of IKEA furniture, when cut-off in traffic or after a couple glasses of wine.
He attended Queen's University for his bachelor's (1983) and then master's (1985) of mechanical engineering. Here he developed an intense interest in how the universe worked. Larry was inspired by his father – who was an early employee helping to support the nascent CANDU reactor project. In Kingston he met Katherine Marshall, who challenged him to stop forming meals based around jelly beans and beer, explore a world outside of those created by Dungeons and Dragons, and don a collared shirt. They met when she visited Queen's, staying up late one night to watch the sun rise together.
He married Katherine in 1988, and wasted no time in having two children: Lawrence David (conceived after the consumption of oysters at an engagement party) and Kipling (conceived, more sensibly, a year later).
His engineering career began with Ontario Power Generation, working at Pickering, where he also helped to raise his young family. As a father, he was welcoming and playful. His unassuming confidence supported his sons and it is how his oldest measures himself as a man and navigates every challenge.
Larry transitioned to AMEC Foster Wheeler, as the manager of reactor physics projects in the Americas, and later worked a consultant on projects that created medical isotopes and advanced cancer treatments.
Larry lived a quiet life. He wore old sweaters and corporate golf shirts. When his granddaughter, Kingsley, was born he loved her as a child should be loved. He embraced everything that is silly for her: Once he picked her up from school dressed as a squirrel; only because she was fascinated by them.
He never truly retired, and continued to work in some fashion until quite late in his illness. When it was suggested that a scholarship fund be set up in Larry's name he agreed with his wife's suggestion that it fund a young women to access STEM programming. Larry strongly believed in the ideal that all persons are responsible for creating social justice within community and so The Ajidamoo (Squirrel) Queen's Fund will support an Indigenous female student to study Engineering or Science at Queen's.
Larry was diagnosed in early 2024, and informed his son of the diagnosis while Lawrence was serving in Iraq. Larry approached his diagnosis with a stoic outlook, attended treatments with his wife, and upon his son's return regularly sat with him – catching up after almost a year apart.
On Larry's last day, Katherine and Lawrence spent time with him. Eventually, she kissed her husband goodnight and left to go brush her teeth, not knowing it would be her final goodbye. Larry died when Katherine left the room briefly. Perhaps, in his quietness, he understood that was best. In those moments, Lawrence held his hand and told him he was loved.
Lawrence David Blake is Lawrence's Blake's son.
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