Willard Earl Larson

Willard “Bill” Earl Larson passed away peacefully at his home in Pocatello, Idaho on October 6th, 2022 at the age of 85.

He was born October 1st, 1937 in Burley, Idaho, to Earl Swanty Larson and Ruth Maude Hayward Larson. A few months before he turned eight, the family moved from the Magic Valley to a ranch in Carmen Creek near Salmon. He attended schools in Salmon, and later college at Brigham Young University, Idaho State University, and University of Idaho.

On August 3rd, 1956, Willard and Janice Whiting were married for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The two made their home in Pocatello, Idaho, and later in Springfield, where they operated an 80-acre farm. They then later returned to the Pocatello area where they retired.

Willard was also a chemical engineer for the FMC Corporation in Pocatello for 34 years before his retirement in 1996.

A devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Willard served in many callings over the years, including executive secretary, bishopric counselor, branch president and bishop. Shortly after retiring, Bill and Janice served a humanitarian mission for The Church in Hazard, Kentucky.

Dad had many loves. Farming was just in his blood. He was an avid and endlessly optimistic Idaho State Bengals fan. A true math genius, Bill could calculate complex formulas in his head and recognize numerical patterns missed by the rest of the world. He eagerly engaged in any brain-challenging activity, from chess to sudoku to Wordle. He loved to travel, mostly on long spontaneous road trips with his sweetheart, but occasionally on a cruise to Alaska or a family trip to Hawaii. He was a true lifelong learner, always eager to read one of his many books he couldn’t resist buying at the thrift store.

While his interests were diverse, his deepest love was for his family. Always seeing the positive in others, Dad was never a heavy handed disciplinarian, and was eager to forgive and move forward. He treasured the relationships he had with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was the family’s gentle and kind patriarch who quietly exemplified the attributes of Jesus Christ.

Special thanks to the care providers who cared for Dad in his final months, especially Dr. Sharla Clark for her kind and thoughtful care.

Willard is survived by his loving wife, Janice Larson of Pocatello; children, Vicki (Kent) Hobbs of Pocatello, Lyle Larson of Pocatello, Steve Larson of Fort Hall, Amy (Daniel) Clark of Rigby, and Neal (Esther) Larson of Idaho Falls; sisters, Jean (Bob -deceased) Anders, and Shirley (Larry) Anderson, both of Salmon; brother, Kenneth (Lavonne) Larson of Philomath, Oregon; 12 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Willard is preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Ruth Larson; sons, Kent and Cliff; brothers Keith (Coyla -living) Larson, and Scott Larson.

A viewing will be held 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Colonial Chapel on Thursday, October 13th, located at 2005 S 4th Ave in Pocatello.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 14th, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 4010 Hawthorne Rd in Chubbuck, with Bishop Fred Hoskins officiating. The family will visit with friends from 10:00am to 10:45 a.m. prior to services at the church. Burial will take place at 3:00 p.m. in the Springfield-Sterling Cemetery.

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