John Larson

John Leslie Larson was born in post World War II 1948 and raised in the iconic middle America city of Elgin, Illinois. He and his sister Mary (1943-2023) played with neighborhood children in backyards overseen by stay at home mothers like theirs, Betty Gregory Larson. Their father, Leslie Leonard Larson, a high school biology teacher, was the youngest of six siblings in a Chicago Swedish family. John and Mary were cherished as the only children of the siblings and by their Gregory relatives as well. They took train trips into Chicago to visit the Larsons and attended many picnics and celebrations in parks and homes with their family and friends.

As a kid, John loved baseball, snow sledding, and swimming and delivered newspapers on his bike. In high school, he played basketball, sang in the choral group and traveled with them to perform at the Worlds Fair in New York. He also had roles in high school theater productions.As the son of a faculty member, he often recalled that he had to be "an especially good boy."

In 1952, the eldest of the Larson aunts and uncles retired from Chicago to Winter Park, FL, for health reasons. John and Mary spent weeks in summer at their Florida home. They played with local children, swam unattended in Little Lake Fairview at the end of the street, and developed their second set of childhood, lifelong friends. They were weekly Sunday School attendees at the new St. Paul's United Methodist Church.

After high school graduation, John went to Western Illinois University, where he studied business, played intramural sports, and enjoyed college life. When his parents retired to Florida, he went there to study and eventually enrolled in Florida State University, where he and his friends became live long avid FSU Seminole fans, especially football. (Go Noles!)

John got a degree in business and worked in sales after college, which took him to Atlanta, where he met his future wife, Elizabeth (Beth) Daniels Larson, formerly of Arkansas. That summer afternoon at TGI Fridays in 1978, it was almost love at first sight. (Beth first thought he looked much to young for her.) They introduced themselves to each others friends and family, were married in an Arkansas deer camp in 1980, and spent the next almost 44 years together.

The years were filled with work, pool parties at home, traveling all over North America and some of Europe, and, at the same time, caring for John's Mom and Dad, Beth's mother, and later, in Florida, John's sister Mary. They have been members of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Sandy Springs, Ga., St Pauls UMC in Olrando, and Asbury UMC in Maitland. Their home was often filled visiting friends and family members, home health care givers, colleagues and, at least two and sometimes three doggies...John's precious buddies.

Both Beth and John liked sports. He played golf in his younger years. They went to Falcon football and Hawk basketball games in Atlanta and traveled to Tallahassee and nearby states for FSU games. Because Beth worked for ABC News, they were able to enjoy three Super Bowls including the 1986 Bears vs Patriots game, and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and walked the course at Pebble Beach. In addition to sports, he joined her on coverage of other special events. She got him a coveted floor pass for three hours at the Democratic Convention San Francisco, and in the early 90s they watched a launch from the press site at NASA at Cape Canaveral.

In 1990, John and Beth decided to leave their rather stressful jobs (John had been "keeping the light on" at 20 motels between Atlanta and Houston.")and move to the Florida house. John's father was the only remaining elderly member of the family at that time. With a little renovation the smaller house would work fine for the three of them and the dogs. They reconnected with Florida friends and began looking for their next jobs.

Within a year, John was working in promotions and public relations at Universal Studios. It was the perfect place for him. He used his gift of gab and great smile to promote the theme park and distribute material all around Central Florida. An added perk was that employees received free day passes and could exchange them with Disney employees and enjoy both parks. He retired from Universal in 2013 after almost 22 years. Beth had retired from Seminole State College the year before and for the first time since their very young years, neither of them had to go to work each day! The next ten years were filled mostly with all the things they enjoyed doing.

On New Years Eve 2023, On the way home from a family Christmas vacation in Arkansas, John suffered a massive stroke. In coming days, its weakening impact was increased by complications of pneumonia and Covid. He was taken home with Hospice Services and passed away peacefully a few days later on January 21, 2024, with a view of backyard twinkling Christmas lights and to the sound of easy listening music.

All of this is written to say that John Larson led a compassionate, loving, fun filled life in which he valued his faith in God, his friends, and his family above all else. He never hesitated to take on responsibility for others' well being. He was grateful for all he was given and enjoyed sharing it. Rest in Peace Dear John.

Memorial Donation in John's honor, Florida United Methodist Children's Home.
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No services are scheduled.

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