Earle Larsen

Earle Summerhays Larsen, Jr. passed away peacefully on September 25, 2024, in Provo, Utah. Our wonderful Dad blazed a trail throughout his lifetime of faith, service, hard work and laughter. Each one of his 30,779 days ranged from the ordinary, to sometimes adventurous, but always with the understanding that life has a way of working out for good.

Our hero was born in the usual way on June 19, 1940, in Prescott, Arizona. The hospital where Dad was born was destroyed in a fire shortly after his birth and it took several weeks for his parents, Earle S. Larsen, Sr. and Geraldine Eliza Neilson, to receive his birth records. The records were incorrect – at his mother’s insistence, June 19th was his birthdate. That is the date we always celebrated Dad, although his birth certificate disagreed.

Dad was the eldest of six children born to Earle Sr. and Gerry: Karol (Glen) Palmer, Jared Kim (Sandy) Larsen (deceased), Leanne (Leon) Adams (deceased), Genelle (Daniel) Pugmire, and Martha (Brian) Manning (deceased).

Dad moved from Prescott to Oakland, California when he was four-years old and lived with his grandmother Beatrice Summerhays in the family home. During his growing up years, he had many good memories of Oakland and family reunions and cousin friendships and the hijinks of an energetic youngster. He was very involved in sports and music at school. For a brief period of time, the family returned to Snowflake, Arizona where Dad’s athletic feats earned him varsity letters in football and baseball.

The family settled again in California for Dad’s senior year of high school, and he graduated from University High School in Los Angeles in 1958 and headed to Brigham Young University shortly afterward. He was called to serve a mission in the Eastern States Mission in April of 1960. The adventures and sacrifices of missionary service strengthened Dad’s testimony of the restored gospel and his Savior, a testimony which he frequently shared and daily lived.

Returning home from a successful mission, Dad continued his educational pursuits at Radio Engineering School in Burbank, California. With his operator’s license from the FCC, Dad began a career in broadcasting as a television engineer in Montana, San Francisco, Salt Lake City and eventually settling with ABC Television in Hollywood.

In July 1965, Dad met our lovely Mom, Carolin Joyce Naylor, at a swimming party in Los Angeles, a chance encounter that would shape his life forever. After an eight-month courtship, they were married on March 12, 1966, in the Los Angeles LDS Temple. Of our Mom, Dad wrote in his journal, “She is the finest person I have ever met.” Indeed, Dad.

Mom and Dad made their home in Sylmar, California as their young family grew and Dad continued his career with ABC Television. He was called to serve as a Bishop of the San Fernando Ward at this time. Dad’s feelings at being called to serve at such a young age were poignantly expressed in his journal: “Today has been the crowning point of my church life and activity. Today I was ordained a Bishop of the San Fernando Ward in the Van Nuys Stake by Elder Bruce R. McConkie, an Apostle of the Lord. I am grateful for the love and sustaining vote I received from my lovely wife. She is a great spirit and I love her dearly. At age 33, the need is for me to grow in many ways. I pray that this might come to pass as the Lord blesses me.”

Entrepreneurship and continued adventure drew the family to Orem, Utah in 1976 where Dad and his father started two Mexican restaurants called El Chaparral in Orem and Salt Lake City. Baby number six joined the family at this time, rounding out the numbers to a neat and tidy three boys and three girls.

A career at BYU launched in 1979 following the restaurant business. Dad worked as a manager with BYU Dining Services and made many lifelong friendships. He was called as a Bishop of the BYU 153rd student ward in 1986, a calling he cherished. During his career at BYU, Dad made time to complete his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography. Dad traveled to Europe in the summer of 1985 to complete his thesis research and brought along two of his children for this adventure of a lifetime!

In 1991, Dad became a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and sang with them for ten years. The choir was such a sweet time in the lives of our parents, giving Dad the opportunity to travel and perform throughout the world and share the universal language of music.

In 2001, he retired both from the choir and BYU. Dad kept the spirit of adventure alive as he and Mom served four missions together: Washington, D.C. South, Temple Square, Polynesian Cultural Center, and again to Temple Square. When they were not serving missions, Dad and Mom enjoyed traveling and spending time with grandchildren, doing volunteer work within the community and serving in the temple.

Mom passed in May of 2021. Of their marriage, Dad expressed, “Fifty-five years of life together has been a most wonderful period of time. I cannot say enough about my love for her. I look forward to the time when we shall be together for eternity. How I love that gal. My life with Carolin has been one of pure joy.”

We love you, Dad.

It is with incredible fondness for this good man that we say aloha ‘oe for a period of time. Dad’s greatest adventure of all is now complete. He is home.

Dad is survived by his six children and their spouses: Julie (Todd) Anderson, Kristi Degn, Steven (Gina) Larsen, Joseph Larsen, Daniel (Richelle) Larsen, Bonnie (Alan) Bosh, 24 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will take place Wednesday, October 2nd from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Sundberg Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street, Orem, Utah. A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 3rd from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 481 East Center Street, Orem with the funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m.

Interment will be at the Ogden City Cemetery.

We express profound appreciation for the extraordinary care Dad received at Legacy Village of Provo and our deepest gratitude to the wonderful hospice professionals at Health Watch Hospice.

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page. 

For those unable to attend the services they can be viewed by clicking HERE