Larry Eugene Larson

Larry E. Larson, 76, of Maple Grove, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 13. Larry was born on June 22, 1946 to Clinton "Bud" and Eleanor Larson of Crystal, Minnesota. After Larry graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1964, he studied at the North Hennepin Community College before going into the Army and serving in the Vietnam War from 1965-1968. After returning home, he went on to study journalism at the University of Minnesota. After graduating, Larry started his first job as the editor of the Elk River Star News - reporting local news, writing human interest pieces, and taking photographs. His favorite part of his job was writing his column, On the Road with Larry Larson, because he got to talk to people and tell stories that interested him. After leaving Elk River and moving to Minnetonka, Larry began his career in technical writing of maintenance and operation manuals for Honeywell/Alliant Tech Systems, 3M, and NorthWord, Inc. Larry had a knack for making even the most technical subject matter easier to understand. In 1977, Larry met Randi Bjorklund at in singles club through Gethsemane Lutheran Church. They fell in love quickly and went on to marry in 1978 - having their only daughter, Jessica, in 1979. She was the light of his life and he made sure she knew it every day. During his working years, Larry made many lasting close friendships, enjoying competitive sports and activities such as softball, golf, basketball, racquetball, billiards, and poker. After retiring, he continued enjoying his favorite hobbies like collecting sports memorabilia, classic Hollywood movie posters, autographed photographs, and rock n' roll records. Larry even had his own collectables shop for a while called 'Daddu's Dugout' - named after his daughter's nickname for him - where his tagline was "Always buying, sometimes selling." Larry's greatest pride, however, was his garden. He loved planting vegetables and flowers in the Spring and always worked hard to maintain a garden and vibrant, colorful landscape anywhere he lived. He was most proud of his award-winning dahlias which he grew in nearly every color and variety, including one called "Jessica." He enjoyed giving people advice on gardening and even worked as a manager of a pop-up Linder's Garden Center for several summers post-retirement. He was also a highly involved member of the Men's Garden Club of Minneapolis and the Minnesota Dahlia Society for many years. Larry was predeceased in death by his father, Clinton "Bud" Larson, and mother, Eleanor Larson. He is survived and will be deeply missed by his devoted wife, Randi, beloved daughter, Jessica, who is expecting her first child (Larry's first grandchild) in April, as well as extended family members and many good friends who stood by him until the end. A small viewing will take place at Washburn McReavy of Hopkins from 11am-12pm, followed by a burial service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at 1pm on Thursday, March 23. A celebration of life will be held in the summer of 2023. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Minnesota Humane Society to honor Larry's love of animals (https://www.mnhumane.org/) or the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in honor of his love of plants (https://arb.umn.edu/support/experience-joy-giving)

Tributes

Larry Eugene Larson

June 22, 1946 - March 13, 2023

Tributes

Larry Eugene Larson

June 22, 1946 - March 13, 2023

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