Larsen, Karl

Karl Larsen, 78, of Iowa City, died peacefully at Briarwood Health Care Center on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013. Visitation will be held at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15. The funeral service will be at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City at 11 a.m. Saturday with the Rev. Duane H. Larson officiating.

Instead of flowers, memorials may be made in Karl's name to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Iowa City Free Medical Clinic and Iowa City Hospice.

Karl was born Feb. 7, 1935, in Chicago, Ill., to Danish immigrant parents, Karl and Anna Larsen. He attended Carl Schurz High School, St. Olaf College and Northwestern Medical School. He did his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa.

In 1966, Karl joined the staff at Mercy Hospital and Towncrest Internal Medicine, where he practiced medicine until 2007. While at Mercy Hospital, he started the Intensive Care Unit, which he directed for 20 years. He also worked for many years at the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic.

Karl was an active member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church for over 50 years. He was a voracious reader and an avid cyclist and cross-country skier.

Karl is survived by his wife, Sonya; daughter, Annie Larsen of Iowa City; son, Sam Larsen of Lone Tree, his wife, Mary, their children, Faun Tosse, Jericho and Jonus; daughter, Sara Reikersdorfer of Middleton, Wis., her husband, Chris and their children, Annika and Kristen; son, Tom Larsen of Iowa City, his wife, Diana and their children, Kaj and Leif; and sister-in-law, Sandra Clausen of Iowa City.

Published in The Gazette Nov. 12, 2013.