A PASSION for hot rods drove Larry O'Toole to Castlemaine in the 1970s and he never looked back.
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The hot rodding icon and magazine publisher passed away this week after a battle with pancreatitis.
Larry's son Al O'Toole said his father fought hard to beat the disease over a number of months.
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"In April mum and dad were in Tasmania for the Street Rod Nationals and after that, in a car museum, he fell ill," Al said.
"It turned out to be a severe case of pancreatitis and after two weeks in ICU in Tassie he was bought back to Vic.
"He spent five months in a hospital bed, and got very ill at one point, but came out of it and made slow improvements. With that disease you have to recover slowly.
"Unfortunately after five months he passed away."
He had a great passion for the community and hot rodding.
- Al O'Toole
Larry was the second youngest of five children with three brothers and an older sister. He leaves behind his wife, two daughters, two sons and seven grandchildren.
![Larry O'Toole will be remembered for his passion for hot rods as well as his love for the community. Picture supplied Larry O'Toole will be remembered for his passion for hot rods as well as his love for the community. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dNmjTCUWGCi8W4CsChEdGZ/bad4bc9a-4c06-4b9c-9f98-123e7a6f5ae0.jpg/r0_0_2112_3063_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Al said after growing up on a wheat farm in the Mallee, near Swan Hill, his father moved to Castlemaine specifically for the hot rodding.
"He and mum moved to Castlemaine in 1973 specifically because it was a hot bed for hot rodding," Al said.
"Dad worked on a magazine out of Castlemaine with Eddie Ford and a few years later started Graffiti Publications and the Australian Street Rodding Magazine."
The magazine is sold nationwide in newsagent and has a loyal overseas subscription base with tributes to Larry came in from all over Australia and the world as news spread through the hot rodding community.
![Larry O'Toole will be remembered for his passion for hot rods as well as his love for the community. Picture supplied Larry O'Toole will be remembered for his passion for hot rods as well as his love for the community. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dNmjTCUWGCi8W4CsChEdGZ/b3b1b36c-d77a-444c-ab7d-b1e3c1ac1b66.jpg/r0_145_2064_1970_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Along with the magazine, Larry was also a driving force behind the Castlemaine Hot Rod Centre, which this year won permission to showcase their collection in a former Castlemaine tech school.
"He was chairman of that project from very start in 2004," Al said.
"He had a great passion for the community and hot rodding.
"There was never a dull moment in his life. He was always on the go doing something."
To celebrate Larry's life, a public memorial service is being held from 1pm on Saturday at Autoplex in Etty Street, Castlemaine.
"It will be a day to celebrate his life with an hour-long service, afternoon tea and a final hot rod cruise for dad through the town out to the freeway to Harcourt and back," Al said.
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