With great sadness, I have learned of Luis’s passing last December. I was one of his students and remember his kindness and intellect with such fondness. I am looking back on our email exchanges, and am so moved by the way he asked after my family and shared such warm encouragement and support. I am so grateful for Luis!

Dear Deborah;

Our deepest condolences! We will always remember Luis smiles and good nature. 

Always in our hearts!

Goergen family  Juanita & Christian, Lukas & Karlos 

Dear Debra, Zach and family,  I just read of Luis’s passing in the Sacred Heart Alum notes. I am so sorry for your loss…and the loss for many Chicago communities.  Seeing Luis in the halls of Sacred Heart always brought light to the day. He was always thoughtful, kind and generous. May his memory be a blessing and continue to bring smiles and light. 
Joan Callahan 


“In Memory/Honor of Professor Louis Lorrea.”  I would like to thank Jay and the Thaiger for the wonderful tribute to Louis on Good Morning Thailand (GMT)!  The Thaiger is Thailand’s largest English speaking news channel (online & Youtube). With 115k subscribers and an average of 10,000 views per episode, this was quite the tribute to Louis Lorrea.  This episode aired at 8:00pm our time 12/13/2022 which was 9:00am 12/14/2022 Thailand time (they are 13 hours ahead).  The tribute starts at the 17 minute mark.

Dear Debra and family, 

Michelle and I send our deepest condolences and a big hug to the family. 

I will always remember Louis' incredible kindness and welcoming me to Chicago when I first arrived in the city, and I will forever be grateful for his generosity as a young student. He will be greatly missed. 

Greg and Michelle 

He will be greatly missed. I was a former student and he was a caring and wonderful person. My condolences to his family 

At El Floridita during our study abroad trip in Havana.  A wonderful professor and person.  

Hello Debra and Zachary, we’re so sorry to learn the loss of our very beloved Louis! I speak in the name of my parents and brothers who knew Louis.  He was a very beautiful person!  We’ll have him in our minds and hearts!  😔😔

Javier Mendoza 

Dear Debra and family,
We send our deepest condolences with much love and care. We shall always remember with fondness sharing time with Luis and you Debra. Your grace and energy devoted to one another will always remind us of care and love. Luis and his invitational manner was so engaging and very special.


To a great friend, teacher, mentor, and Marine. 

My deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers, are extended to the family and friends of Louis.  I was a member of DePaul University’s “1995 Southeast Asia Foreign Business Study Program.”  Louis was highly respected by every member of the group consisting of approximately twenty students mostly MBA candidates along with several undergraduate students.  Louis had a special way with people.  He had a warm smile, inviting demeanor, and an extremely unique charisma that made him a legendary and favorite professor amongst the students. 

In Bangkok, our study group visited companies including Leo Burnett, Lever Brothers, CocaCola, Volvo, UB Hayworth, TOA Paint, American Chamber of Commerce, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Dusit Thani Hotels, and concluded with an international business seminar held, along with several other universities, in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam.  I remember the details so well as I was equipped with a shoulder held RCA (VHS tape) home video camera.  I took approximately 15 hours worth of home movie footage of this trip. I captured footage of Louis, his wife Debra, and son Zach, who would’ve been around four at the time.  This classic footage has since been converted and preserved but still needs to be edited.  I intend on surprising Debra and Zach with this footage sometime in the future which will bring smiles of sweet memories to their faces along with perhaps a few tears.

Our three week long study tour was action packed.  There was a student who ran out of fund’s approximately midway through our trip.  Louis helped this student out by paying for a number of dinners along with a number of celebratory beers.  Louis was very discreet about it but I quietly knew because I was constantly filming on my home video camera with enough footage to put together a mini documentary.  Louis had a heart of gold and helped to save that student’s trip, to put a smile on that student’s face, and to create a memorable learning experience of a lifetime!

Louis was a good friend who helped me both professionally in my career as an educator and personally with kind support and advice.  His service on the Board of Trustees at Sacred Heart Schools was outstanding, and his contributions to the mission of Sacred Heart education benefited many students and Sacred Heart educators.  Debra, Zach, and Louis’ entire family will be in my prayers.  May he now Rest in THE Sacred Heart.
With Sympathy,
Nat

Luis was a very kind and dear colleague.
A great teacher; true to the DePaul spirit. 
It was an honor to be his colleague!
He will be missed and his legacy shall continue at DePaul.
Professor Mark L. Frigo

Debra, Zac and family:
Doug and I feel privileged to have known Louis, remembering the evening at your home with Nicole and Brice. I will never forget his telling us of his El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage and the butterflies he encountered along the way. Such a warm and engaging man, so rich in character, courage, compassion, and immense wisdom. He has left an uncompromising legacy of giving his all in every endeavor, especially to his family and friends. Our deepest condolences in your inestimable loss. 
Doug and Tina Brown 

Debra and Family,
Our hearts go out to you at this time.  We know your love and support for Louis was evident.  We admire you and your overt love.  At this time, know that we are thinking and praying for you and your family.  Despite our distance, please know that we are with you. 

The tributes and accolades for Louis are both moving and admirable.  

Much love and support... Caz & Julie Badynee

Our condolences and a big hug to the family! Rest in peace dear Louis! 
 Sergio and Susana from Queretaro  México 

I am humbled to have known Louis and fondly remember the Sacred Heart days with the kids! You have gone home to eternal peace.
Patti Steeves O'Neil 

Siempre recibimos sonrisas, su gran generosidad recibiendo a Toño en su casa, cariñoso, recordamos con mucho agradecimiento el tiempo que pasamos juntos en Chicago. La veces que visitaron Querétaro tan cariñosos.  Nunca olvidaremos esos tiempos y el cariño que nos dieron, en especial a nuestro hijo Toño. Esta y estará siempre en nuestro corazón ❤️.  
Lo sentimos mucho, los acompañamos con nuestras oraciones y cariño desde Querétaro 
Besos y abrazos querida Debra y Zach. 
Descanse en paz 🙏 

I think I met Luis in about 1995. I worked with Debra who we immediately connected. I think I met him at the home of another work friend Belen. Luis had a gift,
 When you chatted with you it was if you were the only person in the room. He was all mine. His kindness, wit and intellect was real yet he was humble after all he achieved. I spoke at one of his classes and it was clear he was beloved by his students. 
The world is saddened with his passing yet heaven rejoices. My love and respect to Debra and Zac for making him comfortable and worked to  him home with such care and dignity. It was and is and honor to know this amazing man. 

I was in Professor Larrea’s class in 2009. I’m so sorry to hear this - he was so funny and always made class enjoyable. Condolences to all…

OBITUARY

Louis Albert Larrea

November 10, 1932 – November 27, 2022

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