Larry Pugh Obituary

Name: Celebration of Life for Larry Pugh
Start: 2025-10-11T14:00:00.000Z
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church

Pugh, Larry

Larry Pugh, a devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, educator, and lifelong lover of music, passed away peacefully on September 29, 2025, at the age of 79. Born on May 11, 1946 to Mary and Elmer Pugh. Larry lived a life rooted in kindness, integrity, and service, leaving behind a legacy that touched countless lives.

Larry pursued his passion for music at Indiana University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he earned both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees. He began his career as a music educator in the Princeton City Schools, where his talent and dedication inspired generations of students. Later, he shared his expertise and vision in the publishing world as Vice President of Publishing at Lorenz Publishing Company where he remained a respected and beloved figure in the music industry.

A man of deep faith and service, Larry was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as both Deacon and Elder, and joyfully directed a youth bell choir. He also gave generously of his time as a member of the Oakwood Rotary, embodying the spirit of community and fellowship in every aspect of his life.

Beyond his professional and spiritual commitments, Larry found great joy in playing tennis and was an avid sports fan, with a particular devotion to the Cincinnati Reds. His love of music, however, remained the constant thread through every chapter of his life, enriching not only his own journey but also the lives of all who knew him.

Larry is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Gloria; daughter Lisa, son Christopher and daughter-in-law Amanda, his cherished granddaughter Thalia, sister Ruth Ann Koogler and niece Angie Koogler. His presence will be deeply missed, but his legacy of love, music, and integrity will endure through his family and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

A Celebration of Life service will be October 11 at 2:00 pm with a reception to follow at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson St., Dayton, OH 45402.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Larry's memory may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Dayton Daily News on Oct. 5, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Larry Pugh

2 Entries

Mark Barnard

October 25, 2025

There are some people whose presence doesn´t just change your path-it changes your sense of what´s possible. For me, that person was Larry Pugh. He wasn´t simply my supervisor at Lorenz Publishing; he was a mentor, a mirror, and a master craftsman whose quiet conviction shaped both my career and my character.
I have always hesitated to use the word "boss." It never seemed to fit Larry. He didn´t lead through rank or title; he led through presence. When he hired me to help launch a new music publishing division, he wasn´t just offering a position-he was extending trust. I didn´t yet know it at the time, but he was opening a door that would define my creative life.
From the beginning, Larry saw something in me that I had not yet claimed for myself. He called me a tunesmith and a wordsmith, which, coming from him, felt like an anointing. But the title came with accountability. Larry reviewed everything I wrote-choral settings, accompaniments, orchestrations-with an ear as discerning as it was generous. Every chord voicing, every textual turn, every melodic transition had to serve a purpose. Under his guidance, I learned that a composition must build-musically and textually-from beginning to end, carrying both logic and emotion in a single, seamless arc.
Larry didn´t demand excellence-he drew it out of you. There was no bluster, no intimidation, no need to assert authority. He inspired high standards by embodying them. His feedback, though often exacting, was never unkind. Each correction was a conversation-a way of asking, "Can this be clearer? Can this moment move more deeply?" He wasn´t testing you; he was believing in you. He didn´t demand respect-he earned it quietly, through integrity and care.
To be guided by Larry was to experience leadership without ego. He never sought to mold others into reflections of himself. He wanted you to sound like you-only truer, stronger, more refined. His critiques were never about diminishing a voice, but about helping it find its full resonance. Larry understood that artistry is not perfection-it´s precision guided by heart.
Working with him was both humbling and thrilling. He held me to a level of craftsmanship that sometimes frightened me, yet it was in that stretching that I learned to trust my creative instincts. He showed me that excellence isn´t an act of pride-it´s an act of respect. Respect for the work, for the audience, and for the calling itself.
Over time, I realized that Larry´s influence extended far beyond our collaboration. He shaped not only my creative process but also my understanding of what it means to mentor. His legacy continues in the countless composers, editors, and writers who still hear his voice in the back of their minds when they sit down to create: Build it. Make it mean something. Let it grow from the first note to the last.
Larry believed that good work communicates, but great work transforms. And that belief was the quiet engine behind everything he touched. He reminded us that creation is sacred-that the space between the notes, the breath between the words, carries the soul of the artist.
Even now, after his passing, his presence lingers-in the music, in the margins of our manuscripts, in the way we still strive for that perfect balance between clarity and emotion. Larry didn´t just edit our work; he refined our way of seeing. He showed us that the point of mastery is not control-it´s care.
Larry Pugh may no longer walk among us, but his influence endures-in the songs we write, in the stories we tell, and in the generations of artists who were shaped by his unwavering belief in their potential. His life was not simply about publishing music; it was about cultivating excellence, nurturing truth, and helping others discover the power of their own voice. His legacy is not measured in pages printed or works produced, but in the lives he transformed. And that legacy will continue to sing long after the final note has sounded.