Obituary of Darrel Alan Larson

Darrel A. Larson, 83, passed away Sunday, May 28, 2023 at Morristown Medical Center.

Born in Gresham, OR to Rudolph and Clytie (Cottrell) Larson on February 23, 1940 Darrel had lived in Oregon, California, Idaho, and Colorado before moving to NJ in the 1970s where he resided in Belleville, Lake Hiawatha, and Toms River, NJ before coming to Denville, NJ.

Mr. Larson served in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany before his honorable discharge in 1963.

He had worked as an electrical technician for the Colgate Palmolive Company in Morristown for 25 years before his retirement in 2011. Darrel was a recipient of the Colgate Chairman's You Can Make A Difference Award several years for the projects he helped design.

In his younger years he built houses in Oregon and worked as a mechanic.

Devoted to his daughter he was a co-leader for her Girl Scout troop for several years.

Darrel was a kind hearted man who sought to lift others spirits with his uncanny ability to come up with jokes on the spot. It didn't matter if it was someone he knew or a complete stranger he always had a joke to share.

In his spare time Darrel enjoyed learning about computer programming, playing WonderWord, Mahjong, and jigsaw puzzles on the computer and reading cartoons in the newspaper. With a curious intelligent mind he was always taking things apart to figure out how they worked and coming up with new ways to design them to be more efficient.

Darrel is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Theresa (nee McDermott); his cherished daughter, Debra Larson of Denville; and his beloved siblings Rudolph Larson (Thurid) and Doreen Resare (Robert) both of Oregon and many nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by his siblings, Dorothy Alvis and Leroy Enouf.

Relatives and friends are invited to call Thursday, June 1, 10am to 12pm at S.J. Priola Parsippany Funeral Service, 60 North Beverwyck Rd., Lake Hiawatha. The Funeral Service will be celebrated at 12 Noon, and interment will follow at Glendale Cemetery, Bloomfield.