Allan Warren Larsen
Allan Warren Larsen, 83, of Grove City, and formerly of Slippery Rock, passed away Saturday.
He was born March 15, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Leif Sigurd Larsen and Anna Margaret Brandt Larsen.
Allan was in the cartography unit in the U.S. Army for two years in Japan.
He married Lois Ann Sommer on July 14, 1962.
He attended Brooklyn College, City University of New York, where he received his B.A. in philosophy. At the University of Delaware he earned an M.A. and at Duquesne University, a Ph.D., both in Philosophy.
In 1963, he began teaching philosophy and world religions at Slippery Rock University and later served as the department chairman. In Pavia, Italy, and Oxford, England, he taught summer courses to students studying abroad. Back home, he started a philosophy club for his students. His last year of teaching philosophy was at Westminster College after 34 years at Slippery Rock University.
Not one to remain idle, Allan's many travels included ones to Israel, countries throughout Western Europe, Costa Rica and Colorado.
Allan received professor emeritus status from SRU and helped found the Institute for Learning in Retirement, through which he taught several courses to the community.
A project-oriented man, Allan remodeled an 1885 farmhouse, refinished antique furniture, cultivated large gardens, made elderberry jam, tapped maple trees for syrup, and baked the finest lemon cheesecake.
As a man passionate about protecting the environment, he restored an abandoned coal mine to a Certified Tree Farm and planted thousands of trees in Slippery Rock. In addition, he cleaned up a plot of land in Grove City, transforming it into an organic farm.
Continuing his passion for teaching and naturalism, he helped organize several tree-planting projects at Avonworth Middle School, a suburb near Pittsburgh.
He most recently built a Norwegian-style farmhouse and a solar-paneled barn that gave energy back to the grid, as well as organized family tree-planting events.
His hobbies included reading, woodworking, fishing, hiking, and spending time outdoors.
Allan is survived by his wife, Lois A. Larsen of Slippery Rock; his three children, Erik A. (Shannon) Larsen of Sewickley, Kathy (Corey) Larsen Galecki of Ingomar, and Kurt C. (Sandy) Larsen of Gibsonia; and his grandchildren, Jessica, Molly, Emma, Joshua, Samuel and Ella.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Gerald Larsen.
LARSEN — Friends of Allan Warren Larsen, who died Saturday, May 4, 2019, are welcome to gather and visit with the family from 1 to 3 and 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Smith Funeral Home, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock.A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Smith Funeral Home.Interment will be in Slippery Rock Cemetery following the service.Memorial contributions in Allan's name may be given to The Nature Conservancy at its website, nature.org or sent by mail to: The Nature Conservancy, Attn: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606.
