George Allan Larsen

George is preceded in death by his parents, George and Helen (Schriver) Larsen; stepmother, Loretta (Garavalia) Larsen; and sister, Barbara Jean Larsen Lang.

He is survived by his wife Jane Kemmerer Larsen; children, Richard (Roberta) Larsen of Marshfield, MA, Cynthia (Ford) Bartholow of Bluffton, SC, Donald (Kimberly) Larsen of Seattle, WA; grandchildren Alexander Larsen, Hannah Larsen, Andrew Bartholow, and Daniel Larsen; nieces Sandra Lang Robertson and Karyn Lang Isham.

George was born on April 23, 1933 in Casper, Wyoming. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1957 with a B.S. in Agriculture.

He also served in the United States Army during the Korean War conflict with most of his duties as a radar operator in the Guided Missiles Unit, 1954-56.

While at the University of Illinois, he met and later married Jane S. Kemmerer in 1957. He was then employed as a sales specialist by the Texas Corporation residing in New York City, NY, later moving closer to family in Illinois. Relocating several times, they resided in White Bear Lake, MN, Champaign IL, then eventually Papillion, NE in the suburbs of Omaha.

When his employer, Texaco, Inc. and its subsidiary, Federal Chemical Company wanted him to move again, he struck out on his own. Under the company acronym GALCO (George A Larsen Corporation, a.k.a. Green and Lovely Company) he built, owned, and operated a retail tree, shrub, flower, and landscaping nursery called Trailside Garden Center. He was well known for designing and installing residential and commercial landscapes in the burgeoning community south of Omaha. He also co-owned and operated a horticulture distributor called SDI in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and eventually represented several major tree and plant distributors, including the renowned Teufel Nursery of Hillsboro, OR.

Affectionately known as Pop Pop by his grandchildren, he and his wife Jane enjoyed visiting family who lived in widely scattered locations. They shared a lifelong interest in breeding, raising, training, and showing their dogs at AKC events in the US and Canada. They combined their hobbies and passion for travel with visits to the family-owned cabin on a lake outside of Upsala, Ontario Canada. Like his father, George loved to fish and spent as much time as possible on the waters of Lac-De-Mille-Lac, on the prowl for muskie, northern pike and walleye, but always on the lookout for Oscar, the enormous mythical fish who lived under the family cabin dock. George was the master chef of the family and could turn any fish into the most delectable of dishes. His culinary talents will be dearly missed, especially his cinnamon rolls, a.k.a. “sticky buns.”

A “Celebration of Life” will be held at Grand Hall at Hillcrest Estates, 6021 Grand Lodge Avenue in Papillion, NE, at 4:15 PM on July 13th, 2022. There will be a private family inurnment. Memorial to follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation.