John Larsen

Dr. John R. Larsen, age 85, passed away on Sunday, February 28  after several years of progressive dementia.  He was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 11,1935, son of Leonard and Juanita (Worthington) Larsen.  He graduated Waukesha High School in 1952 and University of Wisconsin Medical School with the class of 1959. He completed his one-year internship at St. Luke’s Hospital, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1960.  He returned to Madison for his four-year residency at UW Medical School, specializing in ear, nose and throat.  Through the Berry Plan, he served two years as a Captain in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, 1964-1966.  After completing military service, John and his family settled in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where he was an ENT physician for almost 30 years.

In 1954, John had a blind date with Charlotte McVicar.  They were married in Madison on August 25, 1956 and raised four children.  There were family car trips to the western U.S. and to Florida to see grandparents.  There were many tent-camping outings to study the wonders of nature.

John had a life-long interest in birds and could mimic the call of a chickadee.  One or two whistles would usually bring a flock of those birds to nearby trees.  Great fun to witness that!  Living close to Lake Michigan allowed frequent hikes along the shoreline to skip stones in the water and climb on the sand dunes.  When enough winter snow, John liked to carve it into blocks and build an igloo.

John was a man with a thirst for knowledge about many things.  He was an accomplished musician who played piano, pipe organ and violin.  He enjoyed being a rehearsal pianist for theater groups in Manitowoc and Portage, Wisconsin.  He sang in choirs at United Methodist Churches there and was a back-up organist at those and other area churches.  He played his violin with the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra for more than thirty years.

John was an avid swimmer and would often go to the pool at the Manitowoc Y to swim a mile before going to work in the morning. He had a keen interest in mathematics and once took a course in differential equations “just for fun”.  John was fascinated with the nighttime sky and enjoyed teaching others about planets and constellations.  He read the works of William Shakespeare and other literary scholars, remembering choice quotes to use when in the company of others.  He was a great punster and fond of palindromes.

Language was often the main topic of conversation at the family dinner table.  This prompted an interest in hosting foreign teenagers through the AFS program.  Students from Indonesia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Norway and a teacher from Germany were welcomed to the Larsen household over the years.

As retirement approached, John took an interest in earth-sheltered, solar-heated structures.  He designed and built a small dome-shaped retreat for a wooded property in Marquette County.  A newly-constructed, earth-sheltered home, unfinished on the inside, was nearby and in need of an owner.  John saw a vision for that so bought it and designed the interior.  He and Charlotte moved there when John retired in 1995.  There was only a wood stove for heat, so John learned to use a chainsaw and spent hours taking down trees and making logs.  On that twenty-four acres of land, he also built an earth-sheltered chapel, to which he moved an old pipe organ from the Manitowoc church and added a room for the many pipes to be set up again.  He also constructed a greenhouse, a dog house, a craft cabin for Charlotte, a summer kitchen and three wood sheds.  Except for his chainsaw, he never used any power tools.

John was a well-liked physician, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and a good friend to many others.  He is survived by his dear wife Charlotte, his children: David (Karen Heiling) Larsen, Marcia (Patrick) Flaherty, Deena Larsen (Linda Larsen), Marilyn Larsen (Dan O’Rourke); grandchildren:  Bryan (Erika) Flaherty, Tricia (Chris) Rodey, Eric (Amanda) Larsen, Theo Larsen, Jacqui Larsen, Sara Larsen; great grandchildren: Ethan Rodey, Allie Rodey and Catherine Larsen.  He is also survived by his brother, Leonard (Margaret) Larsen, nieces and nephews.  John was preceded in death by his parents and two grandsons, Mark Larsen and John Larsen.

A celebration of John’s life will be held at a future date.  The family would like to thank Dr Mon L. Yee and the staff and teams at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge and Agrace HospiceCare for their compassionate care.  In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made in John’s name to the donor's choice.