Leland Hendrik Larson

Leland Hendrik Larson (Lee) of Bayfield, Colorado passed away at his home on January 7, 2026. Lee was born on December 26, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois. His family eventually moved to Los Angeles, California where Lee and his little brother Larry were raised. He joined the Navy and served on the Destroyer USS Hubbard and then attended UCLA where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. On December 28th, 1963, Lee married the love of his life, Marcey. They were married for 62 years. They would go on to have 3 children and 10 grandchildren. He was a kind, patient and devoted husband and father. Lee dedicated his life to education and spent 30 years as a teacher, ending his career as a math teacher at Ignacio High School.

Lee was known for being the kind of teacher who would go above and beyond to help his students succeed. He was often found tutoring students for free as he felt if you had a talent, you should share it. And share it he did. Lee had a servant’s heart, always willing to help anyone that asked. His family remembers him saying, “we were put on this earth to help each other.”

Lee was an avid UCLA Bruins fan. Most times you would meet him in a UCLA sweatshirt. If there was a UCLA game on, you didn’t bother him! Lee also enjoyed playing chess and would spend many hours playing opponents all over the world through an online chess club. But above all, Lee loved basketball. He played basketball from an early age and coached at Ignacio High School. Later he would return to coach his grandkids at the Ignacio Rec Center. In 2024, Lee was honored as a member of the Ignacio High School Coach’s Wall of Fame. He loved his hobbies, but truly there was nothing he loved more than his family.

Lee is survived by his wife, Marcey, his children, Sven (Vivian) Larson, Stein (Crystal) Larson, and Hilary (Mat) Pargin, and his grandchildren, Josephine, Marcel, Henry, Grace, Charley, Leif, Madlein, Maci, Hendrik and Faith. He is preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of life will be held at Pine River Valley Baptist Church, 11942 Hwy 172, Ignacio, Colorado on Friday, January 16th at 10 am. Interment to follow at Ignacio Cemetery East, County Road 321, Ignacio, Colorado.