Tribute

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Larry McKinnon, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, businessman, accountant, coach, and lifelong athlete.

Larry was born March 31, 1954, in Port Alberni, British Columbia, where he was raised on his family’s farm, McKinnon’s Dairy. Port Alberni was home throughout his childhood and teenage years until, at 18 years old, he packed a suitcase and set off on a new adventure to attend the University of British Columbia.

His first year at UBC was a challenging one, filled with demanding science and math courses, but Larry worked hard and persevered. He eventually found his calling in Commerce, particularly in taxation, and graduated with his Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1977. His interest in taxation began during those university years and became one of the defining passions of his professional life.

After graduating, Larry moved to Victoria to begin his accounting career. His knowledge and natural ability in taxation quickly distinguished him, and throughout his career he became someone colleagues, partners, and clients regularly turned to for advice.

Early in his career, Larry also ventured into business with his brothers Maurice, Roger, and their partner Gordy, building homes in the Nanaimo area. What began as a small investment grew into a successful construction business, with approximately 40 homes underway at its peak. The recession of the early 1980s eventually brought the venture to an end, but it was an important chapter in Larry’s life and an early example of the entrepreneurial spirit that would later lead him to build his own successful accounting practice.

Larry’s life took an important turn when he met the love of his life Sharon, and their relationship ultimately brought him to Duncan, the community that would become his home for the rest of his life. In 1984, Larry joined Hill & Partners, where his extensive knowledge of taxation quickly became one of his greatest professional strengths. He spent five years with the firm, learning a great deal about the profession and developing the skills and relationships that would help shape the rest of his career.

Larry and Sharon were married on September 20, 1986. Together, they shared four decades of love and partnership, building a home, raising their family, travelling, and creating countless memories along the way.

In 1988, Larry earned his Certified General Accountant (CGA) designation, an accomplishment that represented years of hard work and perseverance and marked an important milestone in his professional career.

After several years with Hill & Partners, Larry was recruited by Ken Evans Ford, where he took on the challenge of modernizing the company’s accounting and payroll systems. With approximately 50 employees on staff and payroll still being completed on paper, Larry helped bring the operation into the computer age by computerizing its payroll and accounting systems.

After several years at Ken Evans Ford, Larry was ready for another challenge and began laying the groundwork for what would become his own accounting and tax practice.

Around this same time came one of Larry’s favorite business stories. When the opportunity arose to purchase the building where the practice was located, Larry called Mike Baker, another tenant whom he had never met, introduced himself and essentially asked, “Do you want to buy the building?” After Larry and Sharon met Mike and his wife, Penny, the two families decided to take the chance. Larry and Mike went on to own the building together for approximately 35 years.

Larry purchased a small bookkeeping practice and began building his own firm while continuing to work part-time for Ken Evans Ford to help finance the transition. What started with a small number of clients grew substantially over the following decades. Larry spent approximately 35 years running his firm with his business partner Rick Germann, building long-lasting relationships with clients and taking enormous pride in his work.

One of his proudest professional accomplishments came in 1992, when his firm became the first on Vancouver Island to electronically file tax returns. Larry later became President of the E-File Association of Canada, contributing to the development of electronic filing during its early years.

Larry’s professional success was important to him, but baseball and fastball were equally central to his life.

A gifted pitcher, Larry played competitive fastball for many years and enjoyed some remarkable achievements. In 1994, at age 40, he travelled with the Victoria Masters to the World Masters competition in Brisbane, Australia, where the team won the gold medal. Larry pitched both the semifinal and championship games against a highly regarded New Zealand team.

Four years later, at the 1998 World Masters in Portland, his team captured a silver medal. The tournament provided another of Larry’s greatest fastball memories, as his team competed against legendary pitcher Darren Zack, who was regarded as the number one pitcher in the world at the time.

Larry continued playing into his late 40s, competing with the Pipers and helping younger pitchers develop their skills. He retired from pitching at approximately age 48, but his contribution to the sport was far from finished. He went on to write a book about the art of fastball pitching, sharing the knowledge he had gained throughout his career. Copies of the book travelled throughout North America and as far away as Australia and New Zealand.

Coaching eventually became an even larger part of Larry’s life. Some of his greatest memories were not of his own accomplishments, but of watching and helping his children Jason, Christopher, and Steven pursue theirs. He took tremendous pride in guiding his sons through baseball, basketball, education, and life’s important decisions.

He particularly treasured the years spent travelling for baseball with his son Steven, including trips to Toronto, Seattle, Phoenix, and Texas. As both a father and coach, Larry devoted countless hours helping Steven develop into an elite pitcher who attracted attention from colleges and professional baseball organizations. One of Larry’s most memorable moments was watching Steven get drafted by the Texas Rangers and later standing by his side as he signed his contract at the Rangers’ stadium—an experience that remained incredibly special to Larry throughout his life. He often joked that somewhere along the way he stopped simply being “Larry McKinnon” and became known as “Steven’s dad”—a title he carried with enormous pride.

Larry was also deeply proud of his sons, Jason and Christopher. He treasured Jason’s curiosity, intelligence, love of reading, and the many childhood adventures they shared through sports. Larry endured unimaginable heartbreak when Jason tragically passed away in 2012. He admired Christopher’s intelligence and perseverance, enjoyed sharing his love of sports with him, and cherished the special bond Christopher developed with Larry’s grandchildren.

Family remained the most important part of Larry’s life.

Sharon was the steady presence at the heart of Larry’s life and their family. Sharon’s love, support, and devotion to their family gave Larry the foundation that allowed him to pursue so many of the things he loved: his career, building his business, playing baseball, coaching their children, and his pool. They were truly a team, each bringing their own strengths to their partnership and supporting one another through life’s greatest joys and most difficult challenges. Larry never took for granted the important role Sharon played in everything they accomplished, and throughout their life together, they shared a deep commitment to one another and, above all, to their family.

Tofino was one of Larry’s favorite places and became a special part of the McKinnon family’s story. While the kids were still in school, Larry and Sharon made the trip there with the family each year, creating a tradition everyone looked forward to. For Larry, those vacations were about more than getting away—they were a chance to leave work behind, spend uninterrupted time with his family, and enjoy being together. The many years spent in Tofino created memories that remained special to Larry and his family throughout his life.

Becoming a grandfather brought Larry another source of tremendous happiness. He spoke lovingly of his grandchildren, Rose, Lily, and Jasper, and of the joy they brought into his life. He was also grateful to see Steven find happiness with Sarah, whom Larry came to know and care deeply about.

Larry found great joy in spending summer days out in the sun by the pool on his property, where many happy family memories were made. He loved watching his family enjoy the warm days together and seeing his grandchildren play and swim, filling the pool with laughter and life. And, like a true accountant, Larry was always happy to tell you exactly how many laps he swam that day.

Those who knew Larry will remember his strong personality, sharp mind, extraordinary work ethic, loyalty to his clients and friends, passion for sports, and willingness to share his knowledge with others. Whether he was preparing a tax return, pitching a championship game, coaching a young athlete, or helping one of his children make an important decision, Larry committed himself fully.

Larry leaves behind a legacy much larger than the businesses he built or the games he won. It lives on in his family, the athletes he coached, the clients he helped, the friendships he maintained for decades, and the countless stories that will continue to be told about him.

Larry is lovingly remembered by the love of his life, wife Sharon; his sons, Christopher and Steven (Sarah); his beloved grandchildren, Rose, Lily, and Jasper; and his siblings, Maurice (Lynne), Maureen, Roger, and Rick. He was predeceased by his son Jason; daughter Lana; parents, John and Yvonne McKinnon; and sister Renea.

Near the end of his life, Larry reflected on everything he had experienced—the successes, setbacks, friendships, fastball games, business accomplishments, and, most importantly, his family. His conclusion was simple:

He had lived a good life, and he had no regrets.

Larry will be deeply missed by the many people whose lives he touched. His knowledge, humor, work ethic, love of sports, and devotion to his family will live on through those who knew and loved him.

A Celebration of Life for Larry will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 1pm at Mellor Hall 7380 Trans-Canada Hwy, North Cowichan, British Columbia. Family and friends are warmly invited to join us as we come together to celebrate Larry’s life, share memories, and remember the many ways he touched the lives of those around him.

In lieu of flowers, Larry would be honored by donations to the Duncan Junior Baseball Association, reflecting his lifelong love of baseball and the many memories it brought him.