Larry Wayne "Hilario" Dye II

Larry "Hilario" Wayne Dye II, born September 8, 1975, in Lomita, California, passed away on October 31, 2025, in Lafayette, Indiana, surrounded by his family and love.

Larry - or "Hilario," as his friends and family called him - was a man of grit, heart, and humor. Being a "II," his name wasn't one chosen for him, but Hilario fit perfectly. It was the closest his loved ones could get to "Larry" in Spanish, and fittingly, it means cheerful - the same root word from which hilarious comes. Anyone who knew him would agree: that name captured his spirit better than any other.

He lived life on his own terms, never pretending to be anyone but himself. Funny, charismatic, stubborn in the best way, and unapologetically unique - he was the big tough guy who looked intimidating walking into a room, but once you got to know him, you found out he was just a giant teddy bear with a soft spot for animals, family, and a good horror movie.

He is survived by his children Nicole Gregg of Torrance, CA; Angel Shadd of Cary, NC; Sahara Dye Park (Anthony) and Aurora Dye of Lafayette, IN; and Fiona Dye of Menifee, CA; his 3 beloved grandchildren, his mother, Caroline Martinez of Lomita, CA; and his ex-wife and best friend, Lorena Brito of Perris, CA. He was preceded in death by his father, Larry Wayne Dye; his grandmother, Eleanor Ramos Martinez; and his grandfather, Gabriel Linares Martinez.

Larry had a heart that drew in every stray - both the four-legged and the two-legged kind. He loved deeply, fiercely protected his own, and stood his ground through every storm. Even when life knocked him down, he got back up, brushed off the dust, and faced the world with that same unshakable spirit. He was a fighter - one who never showed his pain and wore strength like armor for his kids.

His children say he was "heavy on the wrong but light on the rest," and they wouldn't have it any other way. He was the one who would call you out, scare you straight when you needed it, and still be there with junk food and a movie to help you unpack a bad day. He loved horror flicks, art, and laughter - and he found beauty in the real, raw moments of life.

Many tried to turn Larry into the man in the suit, but he knew who he was - and that authenticity made him one of the most respected men around. He taught his kids that life might be really, really rough sometimes, but as long as they had each other, they had the world.

Larry - Hilario - will be deeply missed for his humor, his honesty, his strength, and that invisible armor he always kept around those he loved.

"Life may be rough, kids, but I have you - and so I have the world."