Obituary for
Lloyd Laverne Larsen
On July 26, 2016, the Greatest Generation lost one of their greatest. Lloyd Larsen, our father,
husband, and friend, passed away at Empres Hillsboro Rehab Center, having fought the good
fight for just short of 92 years. He lived his life with integrity, love, and a precious sense of
humor. He leaves behind his wife and life-long mate Deloris Larsen, with whom he had just
celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary; their children, Stephen, Richard, David, and Laurie;
their grandchildren Madelyne, Torrey, and Mary Joy.
Lloyd was 10 years old in 1934 when he and his family left their dust-bowl decimated farm in
Maxwell, Nebraska, and set out for the fertile valleys and Doug fir forests of Oregon. They
settled in the beautiful Hillsboro area, never desiring to move again. Shortly after arriving, Lloyd
came close to death with a severe lung infection, and was saved only by the doctor’s brave use
of a brand new drug called “antibiotics”.
On December 7, 1941, Lloyd’s life changed forever. He and his classmates laid down their
schoolbooks, and joined in the fight to protect their country’s freedom. Lloyd served as a U.S.
Navy Radarman in the Pacific Theater, and, barely more than a teenager, had the humbling
honor of being present in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Instrument of Surrender. He
never did finish high school, but was awarded an honorary diploma by his school principal.
When he returned home to Hillsboro after the war, he became a cable splicer for West Coast
Telephone Company, married his sister’s best friend Deloris Young, and settled on a small but
very productive farm in the Tualatin River Valley. For almost 20 years, the family raised
evergreen nursery stock on the farm, and called their venture Larsen’s Wholesale Nursery. He
taught his children to hunt, to fish, and to respect and protect the beauty of Oregon. After
retiring, Lloyd became an early founder of the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve.
Lloyd and Deloris lived on the farm for over 60 years, until age and time dictated the need for
greater assistance and care. They sold their beloved farm, and moved to Cornell Estates
Retirement Home in Hillsboro, where they enjoyed several years of camaraderie with old friends
and new.
Lloyd’s wish was to be buried with his wife and the rest of his fellow veterans at Willamette
National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. A plaque will be placed in the Trinity Lutheran Church
Memorial Garden in Lloyd’s remembrance, not far from the family farm.
