Dr. John Larson Jr.

Dr. John A. Larson, Jr., 92, of Salisbury, passed away Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, at The Lutheran Home at Trinity Oaks. Born March 30, 1925 in Little Rock, Ark., he was the son of the late John Albert Larson, Sr. and Anne Herd Larson. Dr. Larson was a 1943 graduate of Little Rock Junior College, the predecessor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which his father founded. Dr. Larson also attended Louisiana Tech and was sent by the US Navy to Harvard Business School. He served as an officer during World War II as a Navy Lieutenant Junior Guard and ultimately received his doctoral degree from Northwestern University in 1954. Dr. Larson's career as an educator began in 1947 as a summer instructor at Little Rock Junior College. He taught at or was an administrator at Northwestern University, the University of Tennessee, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and Flint, the University of California at Berkeley and Davis, Stanford University and Pacific Lutheran University. He was a senior staff member at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and consultant for the North Central Association's Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. He was also a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma international business honor society. He was an Elder and lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church USA, and active with Rotary International, the English-Speaking Union, Rowan Helping Ministries and Meals on Wheels. He enjoyed visiting wineries and eating at quaint eateries with interesting histories. He loved crossword puzzles, Sudoku and reading, but also had a friendly competitive side and liked to play games such as Wii sports and Scrabble. He is survived by his son, John Maxwell “Bo” Larson of Scottsdale, Ariz.; daughter, Laura Anne Larson Wells of Arvada, Colo.; step-son, Robert Bruce Rogers of Toronto, Ontario; step-son, Brian Ross Rogers of Penn Yan, N.Y.; and 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a sister, Carolyn; and wife, Phyllis. Service: A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, March 16, at First Presbyterian Church, 308 W. Fisher St., with Rev. Dr. Randy Kirby officiating. Visitation: The family will speak with friends following the service. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorial donations honoring Dr. Larson may be made to Rowan Helping Ministries, 226 N. Long Street, Salisbury, NC 28144. Summersett Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Larson family. Online condolences may be left at www.summersettfuneralhome.com.