Ray John Larsen

LOGAN, UTAH: Ray John Larsen, age 79, returned to the arms of his Heavenly Father, peacefully, at his home, surrounded by his family on March 23, 2008 after a long illness. It was on Easter afternoon and the sun was shining.

He was born February 2, 1929 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. He was the youngest child of Hans and Vilate Larsen. He had one sister and two brothers. Shortly after his birth, he and his family moved back to their home in Montpelier, Idaho where he grew up and lived for forty-one years.

As a young man, his interests soon were directed to sports and music. He played basketball and football for the high school and sang in the choir. He served as the freshman and junior class president. He started playing clarinet when he was in junior high at the encouragement of his parents and his older brother’s example. He was a member of the band as well as a jazz orchestra. On his own, he learned to play a tenor sax. The summer before his sophomore year of high school, he started playing in the Jack McGlaughlin Band.

Ray attended Idaho State in Pocatello for one year and received an Associate Degree in accounting. While attending there, he played on their basketball team and also played in a jazz band. He then went back to Montpelier and went to work for Bear Lake Motor Company. On August 21, 1950 he married his high school sweetheart, Frankie Speirs, in the Logan Temple.

In 1953, he started his own band called the Ray Larsen Jazz Combo. He enjoyed playing for many years at New Year’s Eve dances, high school dances, and wedding receptions. When the new music of Elvis Presley and the Beatles became popular, the demand for a jazz band declined, and so he eventually dissolved the band. Ray also had a wonderful voice and sang in a quartet for many years.

While living in Montpelier, he also worked for Central Farmers Fertilizer Co. and then Stauffer Chemical. His career took a swing when he became Executive Vice-President of the Yellowstone Savings and Loan and President of a satellite company, the Realty and Insurance Mart. He started his own tax practice and had many clients that trusted and respected him.

Ray always wanted to get his degree, so in 1970, he moved his family to Logan where he went to work at USU as the office manager in the College of Engineering. He continued his tax practice, went back to school, and eventually graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and then got his Masters in Business Administration. He then became the Director of Purchasing where he worked until he retired in 1994. He also taught some accounting classes and tax classes for the University. He loved belonging to the USU NBA (the noon basketball association).

He is survived by his spouse, Frankie, and four children and their families: Chris Parkin, Cathy Smith (Gary), Bob R. Larsen (Cindy), and Drew H. Larsen (Julie). He has 17 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. He also has two sister-in-laws, Helen Rae Larsen and Barbara Larsen and many wonderful neices and nephews.

Ray believed you had to work hard, but you also had to play hard. He loved to hunt, fish, golf, snow and water-ski. He loved having his family around and they took many wonderful trips together.

He was an eternal optimist, a friend to everyone, and always lived by the motto, “Why get mad? You’ll only have to get glad again.”

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served in two Bishoprics, was the Seventies Stake Mission Counselor and then Stake Mission President, basketball coach for the 24th Ward Young Men’s team, Sunday School teacher, Activity Chairman, High Priest Group Assistant, and enjoyed working in the Temple for many years. At the time of his death, he was a High Priest in the Lundstrum Park 3rd Ward.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Dean and Jay, and his sister Fern.

We would like to thank Hospice, his physicians, and all those who took such wonderful care of him.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the Lundstrom Park 3rd Ward Chapel at 12:00 pm. Friends and family may call at Allen-Hall Mortuary from 6:00-8:00 pm on Friday evening and at the church from 10:30-11:30 am on Saturday prior to the services. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.allenmortuaries.net