Leaders We Lost in 2023: Larry Westrich

Editor’s note: As part of a year-in-review series, the Southeast Missourian is remembering some of the notable community leaders or public servants who died in 2023.

Larry Westrich

Larry Westrich, who played an important role with the Drury family companies, died July 23 at the age of 61.

Westrich worked for the Drury family for 45 years, beginning at a Ramada Inn as a dishwasher and cook before becoming the senior vice president of real estate/development for Drury Southwest.

"I worked with him for 40 years and I don't think I heard him raise his voice to anyone during that time," said Kevin Whitfield, president of Drury Southwest. "He was absolutely beloved by his team, by those who worked with him. He always put everybody else first, which was remarkable in today's world."

He was also known as a family man, who once as a teenager saved his father's life when he performed CPR on him during a heart attack.

He also had a passion for cycling, doing "double century" rides of 200 miles over a weekend. Westrich died from a heart attack during his daily bike ride.