Obituary of Paul Steven Larson

Paul Steven Larson of Norwalk and former longtime Darien resident, died on January 24, 2017 at home, surrounded by his devoted family, after a courageous cancer battle. Paul took on his disease as he took on everything in life, with tenacity and grace. Paul was born May 22, 1943 in Bristol, CT to Arnold Lee Larson and Lou Manchester Larson. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1965 where he captained the track and cross country team and was a member of Kappa Nu Kappa fraternity. He obtained his M.B.A. from the University of Rochester in 1967. He proudly served his country in the United States Naval Reserve as a supply officer aboard the U.S.S. Caloosahatchee, and retired as a Lieutenant Commander. Paul began his career as a securities analyst at Chase Investors Corp., was then an assistant vice president at the General Electric Pension Fund, and finally an equity analyst/portfolio manager with General Reinsurance. Paul will be remembered for his compassion for others, his kindness, his spirit, and his generosity. His unconditional love for his family was always his first priority. He was quick-witted and always had a joke at-the-ready. He believed laughter was the remedy for all. He truly loved his country, Christmas, and the 4th of July, as well as boating and beach vacations in Maine. He also was a diehard Red Sox fan. He was a friend of Bill's for 15 years, which brought him serenity and peace. Paul firmly believed in giving back to one's community. He served as a Darien youth sports coach, Holmes School PTA co-chair, and Darien Boat Club officer. Paul served on the Darien RTM and the Board of Education. He was a member of Darien Kiwanis Club, Darien Men's Association, the Country Club of Darien, and St. Luke's Episcopal Church. After moving to Norwalk in 2004, Paul became an officer with the Norwalk Association of Silvermine Homeowners, a volunteer at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, and a member of the Norwalk Community Chorale. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Molly Schumann Larson whom he married July 20, 1968; his daughters Katherine Larson Farnham (Barrett) of Chester Springs, PA, and Anne Larson Brakeman (Robert) of Monroe, CT; his son, Steven Hamilton Larson (Jessica) of San Francisco, CA; his brother, Lee Larson (Kathy) of Lyme, NH; two sisters, Sally Carignan and Mary Larson of Brunswick, ME, and several nieces and nephews. Four grandchildren also survive him: William and Elizabeth Brakeman and Helen and Marshall Farnham. His beloved standard poodles, Phineas and Atticus, also survive him. Calling hours are from 4-7pm on Friday, January 27, 2017 at Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road Darien. A Celebration of Paul's life will be held at 2:30pm on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1864 Post Road, Darien. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Paul's memory to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Rare Cancer Research, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, https://giving.mskcc.org, or the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 1111 Stewart Ave., Bethpage, NY 11714, https://www.lustgarten.org/donate. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820