Skydiving Luminary Larry Bagley Passes

Larry K. Bagley, D-4522, passed away on March 27 after a brief illness. He leaves behind his wife Cindi, D-10889. "Bags," as he was known, left a legacy in skydiving that few have ever matched or ever will. Arrangements are pending.

In 1963 as a member of the Utah National Guard, he made his first military parachute jump, then made his first sport jump in 1965. Beginning in 1975, Bagley served on the USPA Board of Directors for 20 years, acting as president from 1981-1989. After retiring from the board in 1995, he served a succession of positions on the USPA staff, including director of government relations, deputy executive director and director of competition & special projects.

Bagley retired from USPA in 2011 and was quickly invited to become a trustee of the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame. In 2016 he was inducted into that Hall of Fame. Other honors include the 2003 recipient of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Paul Tissandier Diploma and 2013 recipient of USPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Larry Bagley devoted his adult life to improving the sport of skydiving, and it was for that reason that USPA honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award,” said USPA President Jay Stokes. “Skydiving was changed for the better by Larry Bagley."