John A. Larsen, who worked at WSU June 1954-July 1986, died July 3, 2017, at his daughter’s home in Troy.
Larsen was born July 7, 1924, in Cashmere, Wash., to parents Sam and Irene Larsen.
He grew up near Soap Lake, Wash., where he attended school. At 17, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving from December 1942 to November 1947. He was a boatswain’s mate second class on many ships such as the USS Doyen, the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26), two boat pools (SAMAR and COMSERVPAC) and the USS Epping Forest.
He and Nancy Isaacs were married Dec. 25, 1950, in Los Angeles. They made Pullman their home and had two children there.
Larsen worked as a police officer for the city of Pullman and as a reservist at the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office. He then worked at Washington State University, first at the creamery, then in building maintenance at the veterinary clinic.
He enjoyed camping and fishing with his family. He was an avid reader of anything related to history, military and western subject matter. He enjoyed corresponding with friends and hand-wrote letters until his latest years.
Larsen is survived by two brothers, Jim and Wayne; and a sister, Margaret; along with numerous nieces and nephews; his two children, Kathy Sargent of Troy (husband Sean Sargent) and Pete Larsen of Pullman (wife Pam Larsen); and his three grandchildren, Heather Sargent-Gross of Forks, Wash., (husband William Tyler Gross), and Jim Larsen and Kayla Larsen, both of Pullman.
Donations may be made to the Troy Volunteer Ambulance, 205 Third St., Troy, ID 83871.