John A. Larson

John A. Larson, 78, of Dover, died Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008, in his home; John had battled idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for the last three years.

Born, Jan. 30, 1930, in Detroit, MI, he was a son of the late August and Evelyn McCann Larson. John attended the University of Michigan, and was an engineer and partner at the Larson Clay Pipe Co., located in Uhrichsville. Later in life, he served as vice president of the Universal Guaranty Life Insurance Co. in Columbus.

John was a member of St. Joseph Church in Dover, where he was a eucharistic minister, and served on various church committees. He also belonged to the Tuscarawas County Brain Injury Support Group, having suffered such an injury in a fall in 1982. John liked to travel, and very much enjoyed classic automobiles; he was known for his 1972 Rolls-Royce. Above, all John was a devoted family man.

Survivors include his wife, Joan Andersen Larson, whom he married on Oct. 15, 1949, in Birmingham, MI; four daughters, Chris (William) Stuntz and Holly Larson, both of Columbus, Cyndi (Donnie) Carr of Denair, CA, and Lisa (Randy) Large of Galloway; four sons, Lars Larson and Pete (Dee) Larson, both of Columbus, Larry (Chris) Larson of Grove City, and Sven (Denise) Larson of Chillicothe; seventeen grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; three brothers, Edward (Caddie) Larson of Philadelphia, PA, Donald (Mary Ann) Larson of Knoxville, TN, and Robert (Grace) Larson of Orchard Lake, MI; many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his step-mother, Catherine Larson, who was very special to him; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, William and Marie Andersen; two daughters-in-law, Bonnie and Sandy Larson; two sisters-in-law; and a brother-in-law.

A funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 10 a.m., in St. Joseph Church, with Fr. William L. Arnold officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Dover. Following the committal, there will be a luncheon in the Family Life Center of St. Joseph Church. Family and friends are invited to call at the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, 803 N. Wooster Ave., Dover, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. A Christian wake service will be held at Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the funeral home. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of John, please visit the funeral home's Web site and click on obituaries.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests that contributions in John's memory be made to St. Joseph Church, 613 N. Tuscarawas Ave., Dover, OH 44622, or, to Hospice of Tuscarawas Co., 201 W. Third St., Dover, OH
44622.

Toland-Herzig, Dover
330-343-6132
www.tolandherzig.com