by Larry Oskin
Larry Rescoe has graciously been serving the Clermont and South Lake areas with his professional advice, counsel, volunteer time, board member direction and financial support for years and this year, The Community Foundation of South Lake honored Rescoe with its Philanthropist of the Year Award.
Humble Beginnings: Rescoe grew up in a very poor family environment where the mom 
was a housekeeper and his dad was a laborer with the railroad, a painter and a school bus driver. Rescoe worked on their farm milking
cows and doing normal farm chores. He had no money for college, so halfway through his senior year in high school, he enlisted in the Army. Rescoe then started his career working with ASA in Army Intelligence, NSA and the CIA. On one important mission, he got caught up in an extreme life-threatening typhoon while in the China Sea near Okinawa. Believing he was about to die, he prayed to be saved so he could serve others. By barely making it out alive to an island, he felt God had a reason and purpose for miraculously saving his life. This mission still stays with him as it guided his life then and it still guides his life now. Rescoe notes, “God has given me unique talents and special insight way beyond what I deserve. My goal remains to give back what God gave me to help other people!”
Extraordinary Career Success! After the military, he studied dentistry at the University of Detroit. He then worked as a consultant and educator in the field of dentistry. He quickly became a very successful entrepreneur and a self-taught inventor for the dental industry. He also studied electrical engineering. In 1991, he opened two very successful manufacturing companies with the electrical, mechanical and engineering expertise he developed. Rescoe helped set the government standards for solar power to support HVAC systems. He invented and built many complex devices, like a throttle actuator for diesel engines. He invented and built the world’s strongest magnets to help clean the environment. He built 30 professional buildings and the list of over-the-top accomplishments goes on.
LOR Manufacturing remains a leader in industrial system integration and radio controls. LOR builds the world’s strongest permanent head pully magnets for corporations such as John Deere, Caterpillar, Cummins, Mobark and Bandit. LOR products and engineers are often featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit show Myth Busters. LOR Manufacturing is internationally respected and still builds industrial magnets with master control systems for major companies across the globe.
Rescoe eventually gave each of the two manufacturing plants to his two daughters, their husbands, and his sales manager. Even though he has not been involved in any of the day-to-day operations for years; his children have kept his companies as tremendously successful ventures by more than doubling the size and revenues for each one.
New South Lake Roots: Rescoe moved to Clermont, from Weidman, Michigan over 20
years ago. At that time, Clermont didn’t have much more more than farms and citrus tree groves. He immediately fell in love with how it was such a warm and friendly community. He and his late wife Jeanette built a home on Lake Louisa. Rescoe started to get very involved in the community. Since moving here in 1999, he has made endless admirable ongoing contributions to the South Lake Community by serving on numerous non-profit boards, volunteering his time, management expertise and by making consistent monetary donations to numerous local non-profits. While leaving his businesses years ago, Rescoe remains very active. He has not slowed down. He has worked part-time for the State of Florida as a Park Ranger and a Fire Ranger at Lake Louisa State Park. He has also worked on numerous projects for Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, such as the redesign of the Jaws ride and the design of the Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure.
Community Volunteer Involvement: Rescoe joined the First United Methodist Church of Clermont where he became extremely supportive and active. He also became an active supporter of the Community Foundation of South Lake, South Lake Chamber of Commerce, Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra, Clermont Historic Village, Lions Club, Cornerstone Hospice, Food Providers Group of Lake County, Clermont Garden Club, and the Faith Neighborhood Center. He spent two and a half years just rebuilding the Kern House at the Clermont Historic Village. With help from Ray Goodgame, they got the World War Two Quonset Hut Museum rebuilt, up and running. He also built the little schoolhouse with Jim Briggs, Nick Jones, the late Jack Ulch and several other volunteers.
Community Foundation of South Lake: Larry Rescoe always praises the Foundation. He notes, “Each January, we give out donations to the organizations we choose to help and the Community Foundation team takes care of the rest. I am hopeful that my work will help inspire others to become philanthropic to support those in need here in south Lake County . This really is a wonderful way to help South Lake and our friends who really do need our help and resources!”
Kathy Smith, Executive Director of the Community Foundation says, “The definition of a philanthropist is a person who seeks to promote the welfare of others, especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. When deciding who would be named our new Philanthropist of the Year, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make. Larry Rescoe fits the definition perfectly. When he relocated here to the South Lake area, he began making a difference in his newly adopted community. He became involved in numerous non-profit organizations from the Faith Neighborhood Center to the Lion’s Club and Kiwanis of Clermont to name just a few. Larry is a dedicated member to each of the organizations he chooses to be involved with. He has also faithfully served on our board at the Community Foundation since 2013. Larry pours his heart into the organizations he loves by giving not only his time and talents, but his treasures too. That’s the reason the decision was an easy one for us to select Larry Rescoe as our Philanthropist of the Year for 2019.”
Rescoe added, “I am honored to receive this award. God commands us to give 10% of our income to help his work. I have given my time and money, knowing that I can’t give enough. God has given me my talents for a reason, to help others.”
Larry’s Loves! Larry Rescoe met his wife Toni Bell-Rescoe at a Taste of South Lake event a few years ago. She taught English, speech and drama at Clermont High School for 35 years. Michele Delaney told her to ask him out. During that time, Toni’s home was burglarized and she was told to get a gun for protection. Nick Jones of the Lions Club told her he had someone to teach her to shoot the gun, coincidently, it was Larry Rescoe. Eventually, Toni asked him to the Beta Theta Christmas party. The rest is history. Toni says, “Larry really is a wonderful, caring, sincere and loving man!” Besides Toni, Larry’s other true loves include boating, fishing, carpentry, restoring antique cars, engines and building things. He drives around Clermont in his beautiful antique 1930 Model A Ford. One of Rescoe’s impeccably restored Ford cars is on display at the Henry Ford Museum.
Become A Philanthropist! Larry Rescoe encourages others by saying, “Learn to share love and to get involved helping others where you live! Don’t just live for yourself. Live for other people. We must all try to help others!”
EDITORIAL NOTE: Larry Oskin is a writer and photographer for the South Lake Tablet. He is the owner of Marketing Solutions / Art Beautique, offering creative marketing, media relations and professional fine art photography services. He is a Board Member of the Clermont Downtown Partnership, the Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra and the Clermont Historic Society. For more information, contact Oskin at 703-508-6800 or at LOskin@MktgSols.com. .com.
