John "Rusty" Larson of Cromwell, Connecticut | 1950 - 2023 | Obituary

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John “Rusty” Larson, 72, of Cromwell, beloved husband of Patricia (Bremer) Larson, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday September 9, 2023, at Middlesex Hospital. He was born in Middletown, son of the late Edward “Red” J.  and Cecelia “Ceille” (Kowal) Larson. Rusty graduated from Xavier High School, Class of 1968.  He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Georgetown University and later earned a Master of Science in Accounting at the University of Hartford.  

He was a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Cash Manager.  He started his career at Ernst & Whitney in Hartford.  For 32 years he worked at The Traveler’s as Second Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Corporate Finance.  He went on to be the Treasurer of the Burlington Insurance Group in Burlington, NC.  His last position before retirement was as Chief Financial Officer with the American Athletic Conference. 

Rusty is survived by his high school sweetheart and cherished wife of 53 years, Patty; daughters, Katie Morin and her husband Thom of East Greenwich, RI, Carrie Larson of Cromwell; son, Jeffrey Larson and his wife Kelly of Windham, NH; brother, Edward “Sandy” Larson and his wife Leanne of Portland; sister, Barbara (Larson) Crawshaw and her husband Bob of Canberra Australia; and seven grandchildren:  Madeline, Jackson and Emma Morin, Molly and Maeve Rotter, and Nora and Jameson Larson.

Rusty was a devoted and loving family man.  His biggest joy in life was attending his grandchildren’s activities.  From concerts, high school musical productions, Irish dance and cheer competitions, hockey, baseball, track, and lacrosse games, he was the most enthusiastic and loudest fan in the audience and on the sidelines.

A man of service to his community, Rusty participated as a member of the St. Johns Parish Council and PTA for many years.   He was a member of the Board of Trustees of Mercy High School and was awarded the Catherine McAuley Award in 2004 for his dedication and service to Mercy.  Rusty had the honor of being a member of the Knights of Columbus DeSoto Council #6 and was co-chair of the Cromwell Food Drive for four years.   

In retirement his passion for travel led he and Patty on many adventures all over the world. They travelled extensively throughout Europe and the United States.  He especially enjoyed his many trips to Ireland.

Rusty was a kind and generous man and will be remembered for his unique sense of humor.  He dearly cherished his friends and enjoyed talking to people wherever he went.  

His Funeral Liturgy will be held on Tuesday Sept. 19th at 10 a.m. at St. John Church, Cromwell.  Burial will be at the convenience of his family.  Calling hours will be held on Monday Sept. 18th from 4 to 7 p.m. at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St. Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rusty’s memory may be made to Mercy High School, 1740 Randolph Road, Middletown, CT 06457 or Xavier High School, 181 Randolph Road, Middletown, CT 06457. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.