DADE CITY, Fla. _ Ralph Larsen, 80, formerly of Norwich, died Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, in Dade City, Fla., after a brief illness.
He is survived by his wife, Ellen; his former wife and the mother of his children, Edith Wilson; his sister, Ada Blanchard, and her husband, Ralph, of Herkimer; and his brother, Linn Larsen, and his wife, Judy, of Prescott Valley, Ariz. He is also survived by his children, Eric Larsen and wife Pam of Norwich, Cristi Larsen of Del Norte, Colo., Mark Larsen of Norwich and Curt Larsen and his wife, Tina, of Del Norte, Colo. He had six grandchildren, Carrie Larsen, Lindsey Larsen Miles, Rachel Larsen, Alex Larsen, Jessica Larsen Santos and Emma Larsen.
Ralph was born Sept. 15, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Bruno and Ellen Miller Larsen. His parents were recent immigrants from Denmark, so Ralph and his siblings were the first of the generation born in the United States.
After graduating from high school, he served two stints in the Army, once as a volunteer and once when drafted during the Korean War.
Always an entrepreneur, after leaving the service he used money he won playing cards to begin a Nash car dealership in Oneonta.
He attended Hartwick College, receiving his BA in 1958. Shortly after, he began his professional career as a college professor at Hartwick and obtained an MA in psychology from Columbia University. He moved into college administration at Hartwick before moving to Cazenovia College as director of development.
During this time, he became interested in real estate, first buying homes and eventually beginning his career as a real-estate developer. He formed Laral Management with partners Allen Thayer and Ralph Blanchard and developed and managed properties in upstate New York. He was well-known for his keen business insight and was often consulted by those looking for advice on starting a business.
His greatest joys in life were his family and friends. He loved the arts and was well-read. He will be remembered as a kind and generous man with a wonderful sense of humor and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Friends may call at the Wilson Funeral Home from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. A celebration of life for Ralph will be held after the calling hours at the Bohemian Moon Restaurant, and all friends are invited to attend.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the Chenango County Council of the Arts or The Place.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting the Wilson Funeral Home website at www.wilsonfh.com.

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Published in The Daily Star on Oct. 26, 2009.