Loyd W. Larsen passed away on May 6, 2026, at his home in Sacramento, California, at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Betty (Dahlstrom) Larsen; three children, Kirk Larsen (Bonnie) of Portland, Oregon, Kim Pringle (Richard) of Palm Desert, California, and Karen Larsen (Jodi) of Sacramento, California; six grandchildren, Cheryl, Michael, Annastasia, Alexandra, Aidan, and Lucas; three great-grandchildren, Amanda, Brandon, and Cameron; and two great-great-grandchildren, Jamari and Inayah. He was preceded in death by his parents, Orville L. Larsen and Muriel Walker Larsen Wadley, and his sister, Carol Larsen Major.

 Born on March 21, 1936, Loyd was an Eagle Scout who graduated in 1954 from Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah, followed by two years of service in the U.S. Army. At age 21, he suffered a near-fatal injury in an auto accident that eventually led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee and, decades later, to an aortic aneurysm. This loss did not stop his lifelong love of the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and just about any other activity he could figure out how to enjoy with a prosthesis. He was not religious, but he was deeply spiritual, and he considered the family cabin in Mack’s Inn, Idaho, the only church he ever needed. Over the years, Loyd often answered calls to share his experience and hope with fellow amputees.

A naturally gifted salesman, Loyd sold menswear, suits, sprinkler systems, lawn equipment, sporting goods, motorcycles, snowmobiles, recreational vehicles, chainsaws, and other yard and garden equipment over the course of his career. As his career progressed, he mentored and trained many younger sales professionals who became lifelong friends. Above all, he was a great storyteller. His gift for making friends and spinning a “big fish story” was at the heart of his professional success. His jokes and stories were often off-color and sometimes irreverent, but they were always told with love, never cruelty.

The Larsen family home was always filled with music. Loyd loved jazz and loved taking Betty dancing on Friday nights after long weeks on the road for work. He had a beautiful singing voice and enjoyed tight vocal harmonies, even joining a barbershop singing organization for several years.

At the height of his career, Loyd found recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. As he gave up alcohol and cigarettes, he took up hobbies like candle-making and baking. His pumpernickel and sourdough breads, homemade water bagels, and many cookie recipes were renowned. He was also an avid fan of Mexican food – the spicier, the better – and he made unforgettable homemade salsa. At any potluck he hosted, it was always wise to ask, “How hot is this, Loyd?” even if you were pointing to a plate of vegetables.

Loyd loved animals of all kinds, and the family always had pets of every variety, cats, dogs, rabbits, and more. As he prepared for retirement, he and Betty bought a five-acre farm in Rio Linda, California. There, they grew fresh vegetables and raised English Setters, Katahdin sheep, llamas, and a pot-bellied pig. The farm became a favorite place for children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and a boundless number of unofficially adopted kids and adults who became regular visitors. His English Setters were his companions in pheasant hunting, which, along with fishing, brought him some of his happiest times.

When you live a life as full as Loyd’s – including the loss of a finger, the loss of a leg, two open-heart surgeries, and years of smoking and drinking – you do not expect to reach 90 years old. He reminded us of that regularly, so we know how lucky we were to have him for as long as we did. Phantom limb pain, chronic headaches, diabetes, and congestive heart failure meant he lived with nearly constant pain for many years. And when Lewy Body Dementia came, we lost much of what we loved about him months before his body finally gave out. We hope and believe he is no longer in pain and is enjoying a beautiful day on the river, with fish biting and one or two of his favorite dogs waiting to sit by the fire with him for the story of the one that got away.

There will be a celebration of Loyd’s life later this summer (exact date and location to be announced). Our wish, as a family, is that those who want to honor and remember Loyd consider a donation to either the Children’s Miracle Network, which works to provide prosthetics to young people who need them; or to the Steinberg Institute, which works to identify, build, and support organizations and policies to reform mental and behavioral health in California and across the U.S.