Larry D. Smith

A remarkably caring, loving husband, father and grandfather, brother, boldly adventurous entrepreneur and universally admired mentor to the friends and countless individuals he met through his half century of travel and business leadership, decisiveness, humor, and magnetism, Larry Deforest Smith left us on Saturday, March 29, 2025. He passed peacefully with family at his bedside listening to his favorite music.

Larry D. Smith, 85, of Indianapolis, IN and Sedona, AZ ended his long illness with honor, dignity and his ever-present humor. Born January 12, 1940, as one of two sons to Richard Frederick Smith & Nellie (Bayless) Smith, Larry was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 61 years, Earletta Taylor Smith. Larry is survived by his brother Richard (Dick) W. Smith of Denver, CO; children Taylor Smith (Carolynn Brescka) and Darra Ellis, his cherished granddaughter Joelle Taylor Smith of Indianapolis, niece Lisa K. Stephens (John), nephew Rick Smith (Missy) his favorite four-legged buddies Fibonacci & Enzo, as well as friends too numerous to count.

Larry grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from Thomas Carr Howe High School in 1958. He met his lifelong love Earletta Taylor, while he worked as an usher at the Indiana Theatre & Indiana Roof Ballroom in 1955 and she worked at the corner drugstore nearby. Larry married Earletta, the love of his life, soul mate, and very best friend after being high school sweethearts on May 28, 1961. For many decades, Larry & Earletta divided their time between homes in Sedona, AZ and Indianapolis.

Larry was a proud military veteran, having served in the United States Army Military Police, achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class. Larry often told his family stories about his love for the US. Military in the late 1950s and early 1960s. When President John F. Kennedy visited his military base, he was part of the group helping safeguard the President and he decided that day that he would begin wearing wayfarer style sunglasses like the President. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, he began his successful, lifelong career in the banking, travel and the airline industry.

Larry’s father Richard was a WWI veteran who served bravely on the battlefields of France & Germany from 1917-1918 in the Rainbow Division. Larry loved sharing stories about his father fighting in France and he particularly loved telling the story about when his father was resting beside his truck and a German military shell pierced the driver’s seat where he had been sitting moments prior. When Larry was a young man his father shared tales of machine gun fighting, trench warfare and using his truck as a weapon when he had no ammunition. But upon his return from the Great War, he shared that life felt dull during Prohibition compared to the chaos he'd left behind in Europe. Larry also recalled hearing first hand stories told by his father of gun battles between rival bootlegging gangs, his friendships with local Prohibition figures, how to drive a big coupe fast at night on country roads without headlights and when it was safe to drive a truck loaded with Canadian whiskey across a frozen lake. The Indianapolis Star published several stories naming Larry’s father as a person of interest in these gun battles and his connection to Rum Runners, but no one could ever be certain. Larry never asked his father directly about all of these things, but they sometimes shared a smile and a nod together, and Larry knew. He always got such a kick out of these stories.

Larry and his beloved wife Earletta traveled the world, in the beginning, for their careers and then later to share it with their children. In the 1960s Larry was the Vice President of private travel airline Voyager 1000, the predecessor of American Trans Air. He later founded The Travel Center, a chain of successful travel agencies, as well as Club Continental and Midwest Travel Academy, devoted to building careers in international travel.

Larry’s charm and sophisticated nature transcended geographical and social boundaries. In his travel career, he had the privilege of befriending and working with iconic luminaries, Governors, Senators, Latin American military officials and several Apollo astronauts who had landed on the moon. His circle of friends included some of the finest rogues, ne’er-do-wells and pillars of the community from Bolivia to London to the souks of Casablanca.

His early travels in the 1960s and 1970s were packed with adventures that easily rivaled scenes from a movie like the time his chartered Boeing 720 was mysteriously detained in Bolivia, and he smoothed things over by “gifting” officials every last bottle of champagne, scotch and whiskey on board. Contrary to his own self-deprecating claims of being an average guy, Larry was a workhorse in the business world, building businesses and giving back to the community. His passion for leadership and mentoring was evident in his many years as a leader at Rotary International, Skål International, the American Society of Travel Agents and the Chamber of Commerce.

Larry traveled with Earletta as often as he could with Voyager 1000, acting as in-flight toastmaster, red tape fixer and classic Hawaiian shirt model for all their friends and guests. Larry was an expert at exploring the earth and bringing home the strangest travel gifts anyone never wanted.

In the twilight of his travel career, Larry sold his travel businesses and spent every day caring for Earletta, traveling together, enjoying the Red Rock mountains of Sedona where they made their home and searching endlessly for the perfect bottle of red wine priced under $10.

Larry and Earletta were enchanted by the southwestern high desert surrounding Sedona, AZ and spent many years there as residents of the beautiful Red Rock Country. In the early 1980s, Larry and Earletta visited Sedona for the first time and immediately fell in love with the energy, vibrant heritage and red rock vistas. Very soon they established a second home near Bell Rock. Larry enjoyed and supported Earletta’s artistic interests and her entrepreneurial career in the Southwest. An immensely loving and supportive man, Larry was wildly enthusiastic about any endeavor that Earletta suggested and it showed. He began wearing western hats, big ol’ cactus belt buckles and southwestern jackets and sweaters that Earletta would curate for him. He was hooked. During their time in Sedona, Larry and Earletta were passionate about the wildlife and culture of the dessert, often taking their granddaughter horseback riding in the mountains and chasing roadrunners near their home.

Larry enjoyed playing tennis with Earletta for many years, starting unique businesses, giving up golf for the 19th time out of frustration, traveling the world to drink an obscure beer in Athens or just to visit a friend who happened to be in Japan and, of course, telling those “Larry” jokes that either made you genuinely smile or roll your eyes.

A man of simple tastes, Larry truly enjoyed taking care of his family, telling Earletta she was more beautiful than any Hollywood star, spoiling his cherished granddaughter Joelle, sipping a single malt scotch, a finely grilled salmon and listening to Dean Martin records. And boy did he love Dean Martin. Having met several of the Rat Pack and film stars of the 1950’s while working at the Indiana Theatre when stars would often make personal appearances, Larry thought Dean Martin was just the epitome of cool.

Equipped with a movie star looks and a legendary knack for creatively stringing together witty expletives and phrases that embarrassed his children, Larry lived a full and beautiful life and he displayed his timeless, classic sense of humor until the end. Above all, Larry Smith was a wonderful father, grandfather, husband, friend, mentor and entrepreneur. He was a man who was always there with love, humor and support for his family. His departure leaves an irreplaceable void, dimming the light in the lives of all who had the privilege of loving him. He will be profoundly missed.

Please contact the family for more information regarding a planned celebration of life. Our family is forever in debt to the kind caregivers at Morning Light’s Abbie Hunt Bryce Hospice Home. 

To share a memory of Larry or send a condolence to his family please use the online guestbook below. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.MorningLightInc.org or the Alzheimer’s Foundation www.alzfdn.org.

“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you.”