Larry Gompf

2008 with 5# Walleye (pickerel) 1969 Grad Photo 

Bio of Larry Gompf 

I was born and raised on a mixed farm at Oak Lake, Manitoba. We had 1,000 laying hens on the farm which seemed like a lot back then but isn’t even on the radar for size by today’s standards. My most memorable summer was 1968 when I went with Perry Pressman and Mel Johnston to New York to work on a research farm for Geigy Chemicals (now Syngenta). We had a blast and met and worked with some interesting people. Of course this was before graduation but I felt it deserved mention here. 

After graduation, I worked with Shell Chemicals in the ag. research department helping to bring along Endaven and Mataven wild oat chemicals. In the fall of 72, I worked for 7 months for Shell out of head office in Toronto. In 1973, I married Lily Parsonage (BN / 74) from Baldur, Man. We moved to Saskatoon in 1975 where I helped Hoechst Chemicals develop Hoe-Grass, another graminicide for wild oat and green foxtail control in wheat and barley. In January of 1977, my first daughter Laura was born. That fall we moved to Birtle, Man. where I tried my hand at full time farming. I also taught short courses in Crop Production for Assiniboine Community College during this period of time. It was at that time, 3 more daughters came along, Sarah in 1979, Michelle in 1980 and Jenny in 1982. When my farming career ended, I got back into the ag. chemical business with Chipman Chemicals (subsequently named ICI Chemicals, then Zeneca and now Syngenta). With Zeneca, I helped with the development of many crop protection products including Achieve, an effective wild oat and green foxtail product that is registered on a number of crops. 

In 1996 my wife and I went our separate ways and in 2002, I married Beverley Jamieson originally from Souris. We had met in residence at the U of M and remained friends over the years. She is a U of M Pharmacy Grad (69 also.) I finished my career by writing for 3 years for the farm newspaper Grainews. I want to thank Terry Highmoor for positive feedback of my articles over the years. At least it proved to me that someone was reading the words I was scribing. Bev and I live in the Ft. Richmond part of Winnipeg, south of the university. Bev is a good cook and we host a family dinner every Sunday evening when we are around. We have 2 grandsons (10 and 6) and there is another grandchild expected in October. We attend exercise class called Resistance Training for Older Adults at the university 3 times a week from Sept. to mid-May and then get lax (of course) for the summer months. In the winter, we also attend Current World Affairs lectures organized by the Creative Retirement folks. There are always interesting presentations on topics such as the political situation in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, the Middle East, North Korea the state of the economy or “what- have-you.” The discussions after the lecture are sometimes just as interesting as the presentation itself. In the summer, we spend considerable time at our cottage at Eagle Lake near Vermilion Bay, Ontario. One good memory – Bill Day with other guys, dragging a sled from residence to the Monty to buy beer during the snow storm of March 1966. It was either charge others the princely sum of $1.00/bottle or drink it themselves. What do you think happened? Happy 40th anniversary everyone! I look forward to seeing one and all during the weekend. Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. Larry Gompf