Charles “Charlie” Edward Larson passed peacefully into Heaven on June 13th, 2023, at the age of 94 in his hometown of Turlock, California, surrounded by family.
The compassionate care provided by the team at Covenant Living in Turlock was instrumental in his peaceful passing.
He was born in Turlock on February 23rd, 1929, to Paul and Dorothy Larson. Charlies was a hardworking, “salt of the earth”, Christian man who loved his family and friends.
He always enjoyed a good time socializing with all his loved ones. Throughout his life, he was known for his love of animals, especially his cattle and horses which he loved to work with.
Charlie attended Turlock High School where he was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and a star athlete in track and basketball. He set numerous records in the 880-meterrun and with his mile relay team—his records are still listed in the Bulldog’s gymnasium’s hall of fame.
Upon graduation, he attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo which was the only time in his life he spent outside of Turlock.
In February of 1950, he married Marie Jorge and together they had five sons by 1957.
Charlie then started his own small diary and ran his dairy while working a fulltime job at International Paper Company where he soon became the manager of the company’s shipping and receiving department.
He worked 18-hourdays for many years to provide for his growing family and instilled a strong work ethic in each of his boys.
In 1972, he began his career with Turlock Irrigation District as a ditch tender. He took great pride in his work and was very well respected and liked by the farmers in the greater Turlock area, primarily the west side. During this time, he continued to do what he loved and grew his cattle business, partnering with his son Randy, and brothers Phil and Paul.
Charlie became a member of the Turlock Horsemen’s Club in the early 1960s, which became a lifelong association.
Like most of his endeavors, he soon became the president of the organization and served multiple terms being a pivotal part of all the Club’s activities. He loved partaking in all the social events and was famous for his dancing; he claimed, “there isn’t a song I can’t dance to!”
Charlie married Lena Rebiero in 1976 and the two were together until her passing in 2005. She was a loving and supportive partner to him during their marriage.
A man of strong faith, Charlie attended mass regularly at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Turlock, where he was a longtime member.
Today, Charlie’s legacy lives on through his children: Myron Larson (Judy), Dan Larson (Marilyn), Marc Larson (Dianne), Cindy Manchester (Dave), his 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Charlie was welcomed into Heaven by his parents, Paul and Dorothy Larson, his brothers, Paul “Bud” Larson and Phil Larson, his wife, Lena Larson, and his sons: Randy Larson, Chris Larson, Brian Souza, and Steve Souza, who preceded him in death.
Charlie will always be remembered for his dedication and love for his family, his strong faith, hardworking nature, and his positive attitude that affected everyone he met. May he rest in peace.
The memorial service for Charles “Charlie” Larson will take place at the Turlock Memorial Park and Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 27th, starting at 10:00am. Prior to this, a viewing has been arranged at the same venue on the evening of Monday, June 26th, between 4:00pm and 7:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sacred Heart School where he coached the boys’ basketball team for many years. Donations can be mailed directly to Sacred Heart School, located at 1301 Cooper Ave., Turlock, CA.
