Larry Carl Janoff

1940 - 2022

Larry Carl Janoff, age 82, renowned artist, passed from this world on Friday morning, Sept. 23 (2022) in Kalispell, Montana during a surgical repair resulting from a severe automobile accident near his home in Big Fork, Montana.
He was born April 12, 1940, and was the brother of Arline Flint who lives here in Harrison.
Larry leaves behind his wife, Yvonne; daughter, Michelle Geyer, of Montana; son, Christian Janoff, of California as well as three grandchildren, Jordan and Jamison, grandsons and Laney, granddaughter; his beloved nephew, Jay Alan, of Florida, and niece, Robbyn Pene, of Missouri.
Larry has been recognized for many years for his outstanding artistic talent, not only in painting but in sculpture, exacting scrimshaw work, as well as carving. The
Smithsonian Institute requested two of his aviation paintings for permanent display in their National Aviation Department in Washington, D.C. Larry was widely known for his technically exact rendering of actual World War II fighter planes. Often, aviators would commission him to paint the air craft they flew during the war. He also was admired for his work in Western Americana Art and Antique Weapons. He also enjoyed years of cartooning for various magazines, particularly the Harley Davidson magazines. Leaning Tree Cards featured many of his paintings in their popular series of Bear Greeting Cards, including "Bear on a Pot," "Left Behind" and others. Plus, if one visits New Salem State Park in Illinois, the first thing you will see entering the Visitors Center is a large painting of Larry's "Shakespeare on the Sangamon" with Abraham Lincoln reading to the love of his life, Ann Rutledge, along side the Sangamon River.
Moving to Big Fork, Montana, Larry and his wife, Yvonne, enjoyed opening the Janoff Art Gallery, first in downtown Big Fork and later in a prominent location on busy Highway 35 South on the outskirts of Big Fork, across from Flathead Lake, where he enjoyed meeting the many art lovers who frequented his gallery. He is represented in many private collections worldwide.
Yet, in spite of all his artistic recognition, Larry considered himself foremost a historian and had the ability to captivate people by the hours with his explicit facts and deep knowledge of many areas of history. Larry was also a writer and upon the death of his beloved little granddaughter, Jessie, wrote a book in her memory entitled "WILLIE THE WORM," which is available through Amazon.
We, his family, miss him terribly.